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AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 




BiWHiiCo.Litli. Philuda 



i 



1— 










AN 



ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY, 



IN THE AUTUMN OF 1854. 



BY 

ISAAC I. HAYES, 

SURGEON OF THE SECOND GRINNELL EXPEDITION. 




BOSTON: 
BROWN, TAGGARD AND CHASE. 

PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 

NEW YORK: SHELDON & CO. 

1860. 



.hi 41 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by 

I. I. Hayes, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern 

District of Pennsylvania. 



RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE: 

STEREOTYPED AND PRINTED BY 

H. 0. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY. 



I dedicate this Book to the Companions who shared 
with me the Fortunes which it records. 



PREFACE. 



The readers of the narrative of Dr. Kane will re- 
member that, in the autumn of 1854, eight persons, 
being a portion of the officers and crew of the brig 
Advance, then in Rensselaer Harbor, made an at- 
tempt to reach Upernavik, in North Greenland, the 
nearest outpost of civilization. The party were ab- 
sent during nearly four months, and they returned 
to the brig unsuccessful. 

It was the wish of Dr. Kane to receive from me a 
written report of the journey ; but as I was disabled 
at the time of my return, he accepted one from my 
dictation ; and, under the impression that he was 
thus possessed of all that he required, I gave no 
further attention to the subject. It subsequently 
appeared that I was in error; for, when his narra- 
tive was going through the press, he informed me 
that my verbal report was too meagre for his use, 
and that he had expected a more complete state- 



viii PEEFACE. 

ment of the principal events. Before I could act 
upon this information, I was prostrated by fever ; 
and, as Dr. Kane's manuscript was put into type as 
fast as prepared, and was immediately stereotyped, 
the opportunity was unavoidably lost to me. 

After the publication of the main narrative of the 
expedition, my own memoranda appeared too insig- 
nificant to justify the issue of a separate volume. 
My friends and other persons represented to me, 
from time to time, that even minute details of life 
in a region so remote, so peculiar, and so little 
known as that in which I had passed nearly a third 
of a year, would not fail to interest the general 
reader; but it needed a stronger inducement than 
such persuasions to overcome my reluctance to issue 
a book. 

Having undertaken to conduct another expedi- 
tion toward the North Pole, as soon as my coun- 
trymen will furnish the moderate outfit required for 
this object, my time and efforts have been exclu- 
sively devoted to the necessary preliminary meas- 
ures. My experienced publishers having encouraged 
me to believe, not only that a somewhat extended 
report of the incidents of the journey of 1854 would 
be acceptable to the public, but also that it would 
probably contribute towards the expenses of my 



PREFACE. ix 

preparations, I have yielded to the temptation of- 
fered by their favorable judgment, and their liberal 
readiness to assume the risks of the press. 

Beside the foregoing explanation of the motives 
which have led to the issuing of the following 
pages, the reader is requested to bear in mind that 
they contain a record chiefly of personal adventure, 
the interest of which is dependent, for the most 
part, upon the strangeness of the place and circum- 
stances. I. I. H. 

Philadelphia, January 1, 1860. 



CONTENTS 



Chap. Paqb 
I. INTRODUCTOEY 1 

Leaving New York — Entering Smith Strait — Passage up the 
Coast — Entering Rensselaer Bay — Dr. Kane's Boat Journey- 
to the North — In Winter Quarters — Journey of Mr. Wilson 
and Dr. Hayes into the Interior — The great Mer de Glace — 
Preparing for the Winter — Fall Work — Journey of Messrs. 
McGary and Bonsall — Winter Occupations — Preparing for 
the Spring Work — The Advance Party — Disaster — Rescue 

— Dr. Kane's Journey — Dr. Hayes' Journey — William Mor- 
ton's Journey — The Open Sea — The Cruise ended — Dr. 
Kane's Attempt to reach Beechy Island — Baffled by the Ice- 
pack — His Return — The Advance not liberated — Dr. Kane 
makes a final Inspection of the Ice — His Announcement to the 
Officers and Crew — The Winter closing in — The Question 
submitted — Dr. Kane's Opinion — Mr. Petersen's Opinions — 
Conditions — Motives — Fluctuations of Judgment — Division 
of the Brig's Company into two equal Parties — One of them ■ 
is to attempt a Boat Journey to Upemavik. 

n. PREPARATION 34 

Mr. Petersen chosen Leader and Guide of the Travelling Party 

— Preliminary Journey — Character of the Travelling — Camp 
at the Six-mile Ravine — Return on board — Equipment — 
Meeting in the Cabin — The Pledges — The Parting. 

m. THE START 40 

Moving along the Ice-foot — Fairly off — Discouraging Prospect 

— Ice, Ice, Ice — Relief-Party take leave of us and return to the 
Brig — A Gale — Its effect upon the Ice — The Boat " Forlorn 
Hope " — Esquimaux — Hans after them — The " Ice-foot " — 
An Incident — Difficulty in getting Fresh Water. 

IV. ACROSS THE ICE-FIELDS 48 

Taking to the " Floes " — The Sledge breaks through — Cargo 



xii CONTENTS 

Chap. Page 

damaged — Spirits damaged — Retreat of Riley and Johu — 
John returns — Arrival of a Party from the Brig — The Sledge 
"Faith" sent back — Shouldering Cargo — Afloat — Breaking 
a Track — Arrival of another Party from the Brig — The 
" Faith " returned — Protracted Exertion — The Musk- Ox — 
The main Open Water reached — Camp at Esquimau Point 

— A Breeze — Shaking out the Sails. 

V. UNDER SAIL 59 

Making Four Knots — Stopped by Ice — Camp on an Ice-raft 

— Shooting Ducks — A Lead opening — Rapidity of Ice-move- 
ments — Hasty Departure — Reaching Life-boat Bay — Hemmed 
in by Ice — In Jeopardy — Entering a Lead — Landed in 
Safety. 

VL A GLOOMY NIGHT 64 

After the Life-boat — Transporting the Boat and Cargo over 
the Ice to Open Water — Crossing the Channel to Littleton 
Island — Blowing a Gale — Dangerous Landing — A Duck for 
Supper — Looking for the "Hope" — John on the Pack — 
The Storm broken — The " Hope " discovered — Re-union. 

VIL ROUNDING CAPE ALEXANDER 74 

The North .W^ater — Naming the Boats — Under weigh — A 
stiff Breeze — A fine View — The Boats off the Cape — The 
Life-boat broached to — ^~ Sutherland Island — A Harbor ! — 
Detained by the Storm — A Glacier — View from the Cliffs. 

Vm. THE FLEET AT SEA 85 

Crossing the North Water — Short-lived Felicity — The Ice- 
pack — Boring the Pack — View from an Iceberg — The " Mid- 
dle Ice" — Ice-navigation — The Out-side Passage and the 
In-shore Passage — To Northumberland Island — The Boats 
nipped — A Fox shot — The Green Hill-side — Cochlearia. 

IX. NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND 94 

Repairing the Boats — A Walk to the Cliffs — View to Sea- 
ward — Ice all around — No Lead — Reflections — Experience 
of various Navigators in Baffin Bay — A Fox- chase — The 
Council — The Resolve. 

X. AT SEA IN A SNOW-STORM 103 

No Lead yet — An Esquimau Hunter named Amalatok visits 
the Camp — He lunches on Raw Birds and Oil — Amalatok's 
Wife and Nephew — Gathering Cochlearia — Change in the 



CONTENTS. xm 

Chap. PACtE 

Ice — Hastj'- Depai-ture — Overtaken by a Snow-storm — Be- 
wildei-ed — The Compass useless — Camp on an Ice-raft — 
The Adventures of a Night — Landing on Herbert Island — 
Blowing hard and drifting— The Cook in Trouble. 

XL ACROSS WHALE SOUND 114 

The Storm broken — Hunting — Burgomaster Gulls — 
Breaking through the Ice — Under Sail — Approaching the 
Main-Land — Esquimaux discovered — Conducted to their 
Settlement — A meny landing — The Camp — The Village 
of Netlik. 

XIL AMONG THE ESQUIMAUX 121 

Kalutunah, the Angekok — Trading for Blubber — A Night 
Scene — An Esquimau Hut — The Interior — Esquimau 
Hospitality — An Esquimau Delicacy. 

xm. HOPES CHECKED 130 

Poverty of the Esquimaux — Theft discovered — Leaving 
Netlik — Cape Parry reached — The everlasting Pack — 
Beset — The Winter closing in — Progress arrested — Re- 
treat cut off — The Climax — The Prospect. 

XIV. BUILDING A HUT 139 

Locality described — Searching for a Site — A Crevice found 

— Plan arranged — Gathering Stones — Getting Sand — Build- 
^ ing the Wall — Roofing — Storm-stayed — Building Fox- 
traps — Hunting — Moss Food — Roasted Coffee gives out 

— Comparative merits of Coffee and Tea — Cheerless Times. 

XV. HUT-BUILDING CONTINUED 149 

Breakfasting under Difficulties — Getting Water from the 
Lake — A Day of unmitigated Misery — The Canvas Tent 

— Reading " Ivanhoe " — A clear Morning and a stormy 
Evening — Gathering Moss — A gloomy Sunday — Stephen- 
son Sick — Housed — Snowing and Blowing — The first 
Evening in the Hut — Inventory. 

XVL THE HUT DISCOVERED BY ESQUIMAUX....: 160 

The Hut imbedded in Snow — Arrival of Kalutunah and an- 
other Hunter from Netlik — Description of them — A sub- 
stantial Meal — Tunnelling the Snow-Drift to get out — 
Fierceness of Dogs — Bargaining for Supplies — Kalu- 
tunah's Cunning — Petersen's Diplomacy — Esquimau Man- 
hood. 



XIV ^ CONTENTS. 

Chap. Page 

XVIL A TWO WEEKS' FAMINE. 172 

Doorway made — Description of the Hut — Boat broken up 
for Fuel — Building Fox-traps — Fox-Hunting — Short Al- 
lowance — Eating Stone-Moss — Reduced condition of the 
Party — Arrival of Esquimaux — Saved from present Peril. 

XVIII. SCHEMES FOR MOVING SOUTHWARD 182 

Supplies obtained — A Cheerful Evening — Two Foxes 
caught — Visiting the Traps — Thoughts of Hotoe — Schemes 
discussed — A Young Lover — " David Copperfield " — 
Doubtful Plans — Communication with the Brig necessary. 

XIX. PLANS FOR OBTAINING SUPPLIES 192 

Petersen volunteers to attempt a Journey to the Brig — A 
Woman and a Baby among our Visitors — Geographical 
Range of the Esquimaux — Proposals to the Esquimaux — 
Attempted Bargain — Propositions for going to Cape York 

— The Widow — Her Meal and her friendly Proffers — 
Penance — Departure of Mr. Petersen and Godfrey in charge 
of Kalutunah — Departure of Mr. Sonntag and John for 
Akbat. 



XX. PETERSEN 203 1 

Hopes of the Party centred in Petersen — His early Life ■ 

— His Greenland Experience — His Services to the Search- ,' 
ing Expeditions. i 

XXL INTERCOURSE WITH THE ESQUIMAUX 208 i 

Low Temperature of the Hut — Occupations — Value of * | 

Books — Reading Anatomy — Return of Mr. Sonntag and 
John, with two Esquimaux, and a small supply of Food — 
Esquimau Dogs — Esquimau Sledge — Provision for a Jour- 
ney — Dog-Harness — Watching the Hunters — Happiness ! 

XXIL FAILURE OF OUR PLANS 222 

Visiting the Traps — Return of Mr. Petersen and Godfrey 

— Both broken down — Treachery of the Esquimaux — Keep- 
ing Guard. 

XXIIL PETERSEN'S ADVENTURES AMONG THE ESQUI- 
MAUX 227 

The first day at Netlik — The Savage Sip-su — Suspicion of 
Treachery — Dread of Fire-arms — Conspiracy discovered 

— Flight and Pursuit — Perseverance. 

XXIV. SUPPLIES OBTAINED WHEN LEAST EXPECTED.. 236 
Resources apparently exhausted — Desolation — Arrival of 



CONTENTS. XV 

Chap. Paqb 

Kalutunah. and other Esquimaux — Reconciliation — Peter- 
sen making Knives — Abundant Supplies — The Sentimental 
Widow again — Kingiktok and his Story — The Witch-Wife — 
Novel mode of Execution — The Eivals — Hope for the Es- 
quimaux. 

aXV. good cheer 247 

Eleven Visitors — More Supplies — Kalutunah and the Knife 

— High temperature of the Hut — A savage Feast — Learn- 
ing to count — Astronomical Fables — Encouragement. 

XXVI. FURTHER PLANS 257 

Rations — Animal Food — Health of the Part,y — Healthful- 
ness of the Climate — Esquimau Beards — Plans for com- 
municating with the Brig — Shunghu — Esquimaux Hunt- 
ing-grounds — Tattarat and his Family moving away from 
Cape Yoi-k — The Sea in that vicinity closed — Purchase of 
Dogs — Making a Sledge — Provisions all consumed — A 
Providential Fox — Blubber and Moss-Soup. 

XXVH. PREPARATIONS FOR ABANDONING THE HUT. ... 267 

The Alternatives — The Determination — Meagre Clothing 

— Tailoring — Value of Coffee — Walrus Hide for Food — 
Mischievous Esquimaux — Purchase of two Dogs — Dog sto- 
len — Equipment for the contemplated Journey to the Brig. 

XXVIIL DARKNESS^AHEAD ! 277 

The Hut abandoned — Slow progress of the Party — Ste- 
phenson breaks down — Return to the Hut — Stupefied by 
Cold — Condition of the Hut — Its Temperature — Depart- 
ure of Petersen and Bonsall — Visiting the Ti'aps — A Fox 
caught — Thoughts of Home. 

XXIX. PLOTS AND COUNTER-PLOTS 287 

Kalutunah and two other Hunters arrive at the Hut — They 
reject our Proposals and reasonable Demands — Plot against 
them — They are drugged with Opium — The Hut abandoned 
again. 

XXX. MOVING NORTHWARD...., 294 

Difficulty with the Dogs — Cape Parry reached — The Party 
overtaken by the Esquimaux — Subjection of the Esqui- 
maux — Reaching Netlik — Astonishment of the Natives — 
The Huts — Abundance of Food. 

XXXL OVER THE FROZEN SEA 304 

To Northumberland Island — Eating Frozen Birds — News 



XVI CONTENTS. 

■«». 

Chap. Pa(4e 

of Petersen and Bonsall — Among the Hummocks — Cross- 
ing Whale Sound — Hardness of Snow- Crystals — A cold 
Lunch — The Main-land reached — Karsooit — Sip-su at 
home — To the double Hiit at Cape Saumarez — An exhil- 
arating Kide. 

XXXII. EOUNDING CAPE ALEXANDER AGAIN 313 

Up the Coast — Nearing the Cape — Wind from the South 

— Increases to a moderate Gale — A wild Scene — Meeting 
a Crack — View from a pile of Hummocks — Broken Ice 
and Open Water — Mounting the Land-ice — Meeting a Gla- 
cier — Another Crack — Crossing it — In the Water — Wind- 
ing along the Ice-foot — A dangerous Passage — Reaching 
Etah. 

XXXm. REACHING THE BRIG 320 

Leaving Etah — A dash after a Bear — Hummocks and 
Darkness — Myouk — The Hut at Anoatok — Disappoint- 
ment — Across Bedevilled Reach — The Dogs at full Speed 

— Sighting the Brig — On board — Conclusion — Our Es- 
quimaux Drivers return to their Homes — Experience of 
Petersen and Bonsall — Scorbutic condition of those who 
remained at the Brig — The returned Party are one by one 
stricken down with the Disease — Return of Spring — Par- 
tial recovery of the Sick — Final abandonment of the Brig 
by the entire Company — Journey to Upernavik — The 
Danish Brig — Passage secured for Copenhagen — To God- 
havn — Mr. Olrik — The United States Vessels — Hearty 
Welcome — Captain Hartstene's vigorous Search — ^ Return 
to New York. 

XXXIV. CONCLUDING REMARKS 331 

The popular Idea of the Dangers of Arctic Travelling — Rea- 
sons therefor — Dangerous voyages exceptional — Compar- 
ison between the difficulties of Arctic exploration and the 
exploration of other regions — Value of Experience — Illus- 
trations — The experience of the last three centuries shows 
the Arctic Ocean to be invested by a Belt of Ice — Dr. 
Kane's Explorations prove that this Belt can be most readi- 
ly broken, through Smith Strait — By this route the North 
Pole can be reached — Route of the Discovery, and Whale- 
ships in Baffin Bay — The Current and Ice of Smith Strait 

— Cause of Dr. Kane's failure to reach a higher latitude — 
Cape Frazer and the Coasts of Grinnell Land — Scurvy 
easily avoided — Fresh Food necessary — Health of the Boat- 
party — Temperature and travelling — The Cold no obsta- 



ii 



CONTENTS. xvu 

Page 
cle to exploration — The Open Sea, and the proofs of its 
existence — Nature of the Country — Route of Dr. Hayes' 
proposed Expedition toward the North Pole — Comparison 
of Distances — Position of Baffin in 1616 — The dangers en- 
countered by Arctic travellers generally less than those en- 
countered by travellers in Africa. 



APPENDIX. 

PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES, AND 
LETTERS, RELATIVE TO DR. HAYES' PROPOSED 
ARCTIC EXPEDITION 355 

I. The American Geographical and Statistical Society. 
U. The American Association for the Advancement of Science. ■ 

III. The American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia. 

IV. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 

V. The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston. 
VI. The Boston Society of Natural History. 
VII. The New York Lyceum of Natural History. 
VIII. The Royal Geographical Society, London. 
IX. Letter from Professor A. Dallas Bache. 
X. Letter from M. de la Roquette. 



AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



It is well known that the Advance, a brigan- 
tine of one hundred and forty-four tons, under com- 
mand of Dr. E. K. Kane of the United States Navy, 
sailed from New York, May 30th 1853, on her sec- 
ond cruise to the arctic seas, in search of Sir John 
Franklin. 

My connection with the expedition dates from the 
day prior to that of sailing. Five months before, 
while yet a student of medicine, I had volunteered 
to join the party. The offer could not be accepted 
at that time ; and it was not until the 18th of May 
that I received notice that there was a probability of 
its acceptance. It was not until the afternoon of 
the 29th that I obtained my appointment. In a few 
hours I had purchased and sent aboard my outfit. 
Next morning the Advance was headed for Green- 
land. 

The historian of the expedition has left nothing 
new for me to communicate concerning the more 
important events of the cruise ; and I will detain 
the reader over this introductory chapter, only long 



2 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

enough to recall such facts as are needed to connect 
the narrative of Dr. Kane with the events which it 
is the purpose of this book to record. 

In consequence of the prevalence of head-winds 
and calms, the coast of Greenland was not reached 
until the first of July ; but, the season being unusu- 
ally forward, we made up for lost time by a quick 
passage through that gauntlet of the Baffin Bay 
whale fishers, the " middle ice," and were at the seat 
of our future operations, Smith Strait, by the 7th of 
August. n 

Having deposited in a cairn on Lyttleton Island, 
near the mouth of the strait, a record of our proceed- 
ings thus far ; and having placed on the main land, 
about two miles farther to the north and east, our 
Francis' metallic life-boat, together with a provision 
depot upon which to fall back in case of accident, 
we pushed northward through the strait, on the 
Greenland side. 

Since leaving Cape Dudley Diggs we had en- 
countered no ice, except here and there a vagrant 
berg; and everything looked bright and promising 
as we sank the cavernous cliffs of Cape Alexander. 
With a fair wind and topgallant-sails set we sped 
over a broad sheet of iceless water, whose white- 
capped waves, bounding away toward the unknown 
north, led the imagination on to the terra incognita 
of our dreams; but an ominous "blink" appeared 
from the top of Lyttleton Island ; and, before the 
close of the next day, our dreams were effectually 
broken by a heavy pack of massive ice-fields. In 
this we lay beset, and escaped from it not without 
some severe shocks, to Refuge Inlet. 



INTRODUCTORY. 3 

During the twelve following days, by hard labor 
and almost continual battling with the ice, we suc- 
ceeded in making about forty miles ; and then found 
ourselves at the bottom of a broad, shallow bay, 
(called then Bedevilled Reach, but named more 
seriously afterwards in honor of Mr. Peter Force,) 
and there, hemmed in by grounded bergs, we lay 
awaiting a change of weather. 

On the 20th a violent gale set in from the south- 
east, and the ice was driven off rapidly from the coast. 
The Advance was broken loose from her anchorage ; 
and, unable to keep her head against the driving 
wind, she was swept in the wake of the drifting floes 
across the bay, and was finally brought up among 
the loose " trash " which margined a solid field rest- 
ing on the north face of Cape Ingersoll. 

The flight across Force Bay was sufficiently ter- 
rific, but worse followed. The dodging among the 
bergs which dotted the sea, and the plunging over the 
waves which beat and broke against them; the escape 
from being crushed between two closing ice-islands ; 
the carrying away of our jib-boom against another 
in an attempt to wear, after a fruitless effort to go to 
windward ; the losing of our best bower anchor in a 
struggle to bring up under Cape Grinnell ; the gen- 
eral confusion; the clattering of blocks; the jibing of 
the main boom, from port to starboard, and from star- 
board to port, as every few minutes we went about ; 
the whistling of the wind through the rigging ; the 
dashing of the spray ; the general babel of voices, 
were, altogether, less startling than the tossing, 
grinding, surging, of the broken, crushed, and crumb- 
ling masses which, riding on the billows, opened to 



4 • AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

receive us. At first they were few in number and far 
between, but they thickened as we advanced ; and 
we were soon inclosed in the main body of them, 
and could no longer hold our course. The bluff of 
the port bow struck a floe, luckily not large enough 
to do us damage ; the brig veered around and brought 
up with her waist against a larger mass, which slip- 
ped along her side and dropped us around broadside 
to the wind. Thus we rode, powerless to move but 
as the elements listed. That we were not ground 
to pieces seemed a wonder. Thump followed thump 
in quick succession ; bows, quarter, waist, stem, and 
stern successively received the shocks as the brig 
rose and fell and plunged with the waves. Soon 
we had run this gauntlet, and then came the hardest 
trial of all: we were rushing upon the solid floe, 
which was firm as a rock. A huge wave lifted us 
high in the air, and, as it slipped from under the 
brig, down went her forefoot upon the ice. The 
shock was terrible ; the masts creaked and shivered ; 
every person on board expected to see them fly in 
splinters, but they held firm. Next moment the 
stern fell off', and we lay grinding against the floe. 
Then a large field bore down upon us from the 
windward, and the' brig was squeezed out of the 
water. The crew, powerless to help her, sprang 
upon the ice ; and there she lay high and dry for 
several hours. At length the storm abated, the ice 
relaxed, and the Advance settled down into her 
proper element A lead having opened toward the 
shore, a warp was run out, and we first hauled 
under the lee of a grounded berg, then to the land. 
Worn out with constant work, we made fast to 



INTRODUCTORY. 5 

the land-ice, the watch was set, and all hands 
turned in. 

The prospect of advancing farther north with the 
brig was now very unpromising. Dr. Kane had 
hoped to reach with her at least latitude 80° ; and 
here we were completely beset at 78° 40^ All to 
the north was one unbroken ice-field, crossed by no 
crack, and with not a drop of water visible, except 
here and there a puddle of melted snow. 

Along the land, which trended eastward, opened 
a narrow lead, from twenty to sixty feet in width ; 
which, although clogged with loose, ragged pieces, 
was, nevertheless, wide enough to admit the vessel. 
Into this lead she was hauled; and inch by inch, and 
foot by foot we tracked and warped her along the 
frozen wall of the land-ice, for the next five days, 
making thus about six miles. This was along the 
southern shore of a deep bay, afterwards called Rens- 
selaer. Being close under the land, we grounded at 
nearly every low tide. 

The head of the bay was reached on the 27th. 
Finding here the ice much more broken, we hauled 
over to the opposite shore, and then commenced 
again to track ; but the lead was soon found to be 
completely closed. The winter was now fast ap- 
proaching ; the young ice was forming rapidly ; and 
there was nothing left for us but to retreat and seek 
a harbor. 

Dr. Kane, with a boat's crew of six men, put off 
up the coast to inspect the ice ; the remainder of us 
meanwhile working to get the Advance to a place 
of safety. The sailing-master, Mr. Wilson, being 
sick, and the two mates having accompanied Dr. 
1* 



6 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Kane, the superintendence of the work devolved 
upon Mr. Ohlsen, who was ordered to get the ves- 
sel clear of the ice, and then to await the return of 
our chief. 

We were four days in making two miles. The 
"bay ice" was, in places, two inches thick; and, 
with all the power we could apply with capstan and 
windlass, we could not force the vessel forward 
without first breaking a track with poles and hand- 
spikes. 

The islands at the head of the bay were at length 
reached ; but the ice was there found locked against 
the outer point of Fern Rock, above which we had 
passed on our way in ; and it was not until the even- 
ing of the 6th of September that it became possible to 
execute further the commander's instructions. Then 
a gale set in from the southeast, and in a few hours 
the ice was driven nearly out of sight. Preparations 
were at once commenced for getting under weigh. 
The Watch was called ; the click, click, of the cap- 
stan was again heard; the men were sent aloft to 
shake out the foresail. All was ready, and in a few 
minutes we should have been off. Then came a cry 
from the masthead that Dr. Kane and his party were 
in sight. They were on the ice a mile or so below 
Cape Leiper. Immediately a boat put off for them, 
and in a couple of hours they were aboard. 

This journey had convinced Dr. Kane that it was 
practicable to travel over the ice with sledges, and 
that the search could be thus continued in the spring. 
Of this there had been not a little doubt at his start- 
ing. Mr. Petersen had given it as his decided opin- 
ion that, owing to the roughness of the ice, nothing 



INTRODUCTORY. 7 

could be clone with the dogs ; and the prospect cer- 
tainly looked no more promising for the men. 

By his journey up the coast, Dr. Kane had de- 
cided the question of the propriety of wintering, even 
in this low latitude. On the following morning, 
the brig was hauled between the islands, and was 
moored fast. The temperature fell to 19°. The gale 
died away, allowing the old floes to drift back about 
us; the young ice cemented them together; and, 
by the morning of the 9th of September, we could 
walk ashore. The Advance was firmly locked up. 

Now commenced busy preparations for meeting 
the four months of the winter which was closing 
upon us. The hold of the vessel was unstowed, and 
the stores were carried on sleds over the ice, about 
thirty yards, to Butler Island, and. there deposited in 
a temporary house. The upper deck was covered in 
with boards. The between-decks were bulkheaded 
at about twelve feet abaft the foremast ; the cabin 
and hold were united in one long room, and this 
was decked and bunked all around. The little stove 
was retained in the cabin ; the cook-stove was placed 
amidships ; the men moved aft from the forecastle ; 
the nautical day was changed to the old-fashioned 
day which commences at midnight ; and, with the 
Advance thus virtually converted into a house, both 
as concerned herself and her domestic arrangements, 
we entered upon the winter. 

Meanwhile the work of exploration went on. The 
anchor had scarcely been dropped before Mr. Wilson 
and myself were sent to the interior, with the view, 
mainly, of determining how far we might rely upon 
the land to supply us with game. 



8 AN ARCTIC "BOAT JOURNEY. 

We left the vessel on the 8th of September, carry- 
ing upon our backs our slender equipment. Our 
only companion was the Greenlander, Hans Hen- 
drich, a fine little fellow who Joined us at Lichtenfels, 
South Greenland ; anli who, after serving faithfully 
the expedition for nearly two years, finally fell in 
love with a pair of black eyes and a fat face, and 
left us to live with the wild Esquimaux. 

Our route lay, for two days, over an uneven prim- 
itive country, from which we emerged upon a ta- 
ble-land of weather-worn greenstone. Over this we 
travelled for about fifteen miles, when we came again 
upon the porphyritic and gneissoid rocks; and, on 
the fourth day, after a laborious travel, we descended 
into a deep broad valley, which proved to be the bed 
of a_ river. This was almost dry, but it bore upon 
its banks evidences of having recently been a deep 
and rapid torrent, which, as it rolled and tumbled 
over the rocks, was fed, through the many gorges 
which flanked it, by the melting snow from the 
mountain sides. Here we spread our buffalo skins 
upon the stones, and rested for the morrow's work. 

The morrow found our poor Esquimau unable 
to travel ; and we were in not much better condition. 
Our route had lain over a very uneven country. 
The snow of the previous winter having all disap- 
peared, we clambered over the naked rocks ; and 
as each of us carried upon his shoulders a burden 
of about thirty pounds' weight, this was no slight 
task. 

On the second day there was a light fall of snow, 
which rendered the rocks slippery and our footing 
insecure, and added greatly to the difficulties of the 



INTRODUCTORY. 9 

journey. No evidences of life were seen, save a 
solitary rabbit and the footmarks of a fox. 

Before us the country was no less rugged than 
that which we had just traversed, and we resolved 
to leave behind us, in charge of Hans, all our trav- 
elling gear; and each taking in his pocket a lump 
of pemmican and an ounce or so of coffee, we 
started, at noon of the fifth day, up the bank of the 
river, resolved if possible to trace it to its source. 

As we proceeded the prospect became more en- 
livening. The fall of snow had been mainly con- 
fined to the coast, and the bare rocks, over which we 
made our way by springing from one boulder to 
another, gave us firmer foothold. The hills became 
more even in their outline; and between them rested 
picturesque valleys, sloping down to the river banks, 
which were often broad and clothed with verdure. 
Patches of andromeda, — arctic type of Scotia's 
heather, — its purple blossoms not yet nipped by the 
winter frosts, — gave here and there a carpet to the 
feet, and furnished us fuel for the cooking of a meal. 
Beds of green moss and turf, whose roots supplied 
pabulum to some festucine grasses, on which were 
browsing little herds of reindeer, gave to the scene 
an air of enchantment, and brought to recollection 
the verdure of my native Chester. These mead- 
ows often tempted us from our course, sometimes to 
catch a closer glimpse of the stunted flowers,, some- 
times to steal a shot at the deer. In the former 
purpose we were always amply successful, but in 
the latter we were frustrated by the timidity of the 
animals, who could not, with all our arts, be sur- 
prised, nor approached within rifle shot. The old 



10 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

buck who stood guard over the herd, gave the alarm 
by a significant snort ; and, angry at being disturbed, 
led away his charge, the whole troop bounding off 
to the mountains. Thence looking down over the 
cliffs, they were seen watching us until they were 
lost among the rocks, from which, in the distance, 
they could not be distinguished. The vegetation 
of the marshes and meadow-lands was richer than 
anything I had seen north of Melville Bay. Dwarf 
willows, — representatives of the beautiful shade- 
trees of our lawns and river banks, — with branches 
which trailed on the ground as thin as one's little 
finger, and a foot long, (the whole tree being of 
about the circumference of a large dinner plate,) 
were, in places, quite abundant. 

At length we emerged upon a broad plain or val- 
ley, wider than any we had yet seen, in the heart of 
which reposed a lake about two miles in length by 
half a mile in width, over the transparent, glassy 
surface of which we walked. On either side of us 
rose rugged bluffs, that stretched off into long lines 
of hills, culminating in series in a broad-topped 
mountain ridge, which, running away to right and 
left, was cut by a gap several miles wide that opened 
directly before us. Immediately in front was a low 
hill, around the base of which flowed on either side 
the branches of the stream which we had followed. 
Leaving the bed of the river just above the lake, we 
ascended to the top of this hillock ; and here a sight 
burst upon us, grand and imposing beyond any 
power of mine adequately to describe. From the 
rocky bed, only a few miles in advance, a sloping 
wall of pure whiteness rose to a broad level plain 



INTRODUCTORY. 11 

of ice, which, apparently boundless, stretched away 
toward the unknown east. It was the great mer de 
glace of the arctic continent. 

At any subsequent period of the cruise this sight 
would have less impressed me ; but I had never, ex- 
cept in the distance, seen a glacier. Here before us 
was, in reality, the counterpart of the river-systems 
of other lands. From behind the granite hills the 
congealed drainings of the interior water-sheds, the 
atmospheric precipitations of ages, were moving 
as a solid though plastic mass, down through 
every gap in the mountains, swallowing up the 
rocks, filling the valleys, submerging the hills : an 
onward, irresistible, crystal tide, swelling to the 
ocean. Cutting the surface were many vertical cre- 
vasses, or gutters, some of great depth, which had 
drained off the melted snow. 

It was midnight when we made our approach. 
The sun was several degrees beneath the horizon, 
and afforded us a faint twilight. Stars of the sec- 
ond magnitude were dimly visible in the northern 
heavens. When we were within about half a mile 
of the icy wall, a brilliant meteor fell before us, and 
by its reflection upon the glassy surface beneath, 
greatly heightened the effect of the scene ; while 
loud reports, like distant thunder or the booming of 
artillery, broke at intervals from the heart of the 
frozen sea. 

Upon closer inspection we found the face of the 
glacier to ascend at an angle of from 30° to 35°. At 
its base lay a high snow-bank, up which we clam- 
bered about sixty feet; but beyond this the ice was 
so smooth as to defy our efforts. The mountains, 



12 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

which stood like giant gateposts on either side, were 
overlapped and partially submerged by the glacier. 
From the face of this a multitude of little rivulets 
ran down the gutters already mentioned, or gurgled 
from beneath the ice ; and formed, on the level lands 
below, a sort of marsh, not twenty yards from the icy 
wall. Here grew, in strange contrast, beds of green 
moss; and in these, tufts of dwarf willows were 
twining their tiny arms and rootlets about the fee- 
bler flower growths ; and there, clustered together, 
crouched among the grass, and sheltered by the 
leaves, and feeding on the bed of lichens, I found a 
white-blossomed draba which would have needed 
only a lady's thimble for a flower-pot, and a white 
chickweed. Dotting the few feet of green around 
me were seen the yellow blossoms of the more hardy 
poppy, the purple potentilla, and the white, purple, 
and yellow saxifrages. 

This little oasis was literally imbedded in ice. 
The water which- had flowed through it had frozen 
in the holes, and spread itself out in a crystal sheet 
upon the rocks and stones around. A few speci- 
mens of the tiny blossoms were laid in my note- 
book, a sprig of heather and a saxifrage were stuck 
in my button hole, and with these souvenirs we left 
this garden spot, which the glacier was soon to 
cover forever from human eyes. 

Returning upon our track, we arrived at the camp 
after an absence of twenty-three hours, having trav- 
elled, during that time, between fifty and sixty miles. 
After halting here until midnight, we set out for the 
vessel, which was reached in another march. 

We found the preparations for winter progressing 



INTEODUCTORY. 13 

rapidly. Before they were completed, and as soon 
as the ice was sufficiently solid to insure the safety 
of travel, Messrs. McGary and Bonsall, with five 
men, were dispatched with a sledge-load of stores, 
part of which they were to place on the land, as far 
north as they could reach, the remainder at available 
points along the Greenland coast. These deposits 
were to serve as supports of the principal opera- 
tions, which were to follow in the spring. The 
party carried upon the sledge, in addition to their 
own provisions and equipment, about four hundred 
pounds of pemmican* and bread. 

Their route lay up the hitherto unsurveyed coast 
of Greenland, to the northeastward from Rensselaer 
Harbor. They soon found, much to their disap- 
pointment, that the ice was not completely fast, 
although the temperature was within a few de- 
grees of zero. The tide, as it rose and fell alter- 
nately, opened and closed chasms, or rivers, as Bon- 
saU styled them, sometimes fifty yards wide, across 
which the party were compelled in several cases to 
transport themselves and their baggage on a loose 
cake of ice, — an insecure though cheap substitute 
for a raft. In this unusual mode of navigation, 
they were once well drenched, but no more serious 
results followed ; and with a steadfast determina- 
tion to carry out their instructions, McGary and 
Bonsall led on their men, until their further progress 

* Pemmican is a preparation of meat. It is made by drying thin strips 
of the lean portions of beef, or other flesh, either in the sun, or by a slow 
artificial heat, such as that of a malt-kiln; and then chopping it finely 
and mixing it with an equal portion of melted tallow. One pound of this 
preparation is equal in nutritive effect to about three pounds of ordinaiy 
meat. 



14 AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

was arrested by a great glassy wall, a huge barri- 
cade of ice, from three to five hundred feet in 
height, which joined the land ninety miles northeast 
of Rensselaer Bay, and stretched north-by-east as 
far as the eye could reach. 

This cold mass (afterwards named Humboldt 
Glacier) brought the temperature down below zero ; 
but it changed the course of the party only from 
northeast-by-east to north-by-east. Parallel with its 
face, and within two miles of it, they struck out for 
the land, which loomed up northward. After fifty- 
two miles of hard toil, they became entangled among 
bergs and hummocks, through which their heavily 
laden sledge could not be forced. They were thus 
compelled to put back, and to deposit their stores 
upon the land which they had left a few days be- 
fore. The principal depots were made at Capes 
Agassiz and Russell. On the 16th of October, the 
party reached the brig, after an absence of twenty- 
six days. 

A few days afterward I added a light load to the 
dep6t at Cape Russell; and with this journey closed 
the preparatory operations for search. We were not 
yet, however, quite driven within doors. Mr. Sonn- 
tag finished the observatory, and began his work in 
it ; and while the light of noonday continued bright 
enough to enable me to read the markings on the 
vernier, I was engaged, with Baker for assistant, 
upon a topographical sextant-survey of Rensselaer 
Harbor and the region round about. The thermom- 
eter being at from ten to twenty degrees below 
zero, I had of course a fine opportunity to prove the 
scorching power of frosty metal. Mr. Bonsall and 



INTRODUCTORY. 15 

Mr. Goodfellow, Mr. Petersen and Hans, Morton 
and Riley, tried successively to reach the Esquinaaux, 
who were supposed to live near the mouth of the 
strait ; and Dr. Kane, in the intervals of his numer- 
ous occupations as commander, found time for train- 
ing and exercising, for future service, the dogs, on 
which so much must thereafter depend. 

The darkness at length cut short these out-door 
operations, and forced us within the vessel, where 
we were not idle. Our small force had been reduced 
by sickness, and the deck officers and effective men 
had enough of ship's duty to occupy several hours of 
each day. Mr. Sonntag had still his observatory to 
look after, and he was assisted there alternately by 
the commander, Bonsall, and myself; and on board, 
during " office-hours," he was engaged upon his 
charts and computations. For myself, I had no 
room to complain of want of occupation. My duties 
were multifarious and endless. They included the 
functions of doctor, hospital steward, naturalist, and 
captain's clerk. When the winter shut us in, I had 
a hospital to look after ; more than half a hundred 
birds, hares, and foxes to skin ; charts to project, and 
reports of journeys to draw up ; the official records, 
log-book, and meteorological tables of two months 
to copy, beside the current days' entries; and withal, 
now and then, from four to eight hours' watch to 
keep per diem, as one officer after another was tem- 
porarily on the sick-list. 

There was no idling on board the Advance dur- 
ing the early part of the winter ; and after the 
" Christmas holidays " were over, new occupation 
was found in preparing for the spring journeys. 



16 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

The carpenter was making and mending sleds; 
the tinkers were manufacturing cooking apparatus ; 
some of the men were sewing tents ; others fur-bags 
to sleep in ; others boots, stockings, mittens, and all 
the et ceteras of personal outfit. Thus, as the win- 
ter dragged its slow length along, we found, in con- 
stant occupation, the means of rendering the dreari- 
ness of our imprisonment more endurable. 

The sun came to us again on the first of March, 
after an absence of one hundred and thirty-five days ; 
and once more we were bathing in an atmosphere of 
continual sunlight. The season was, however, back- 
ward, and this month was the coldest of the year. 

Meanwhile the preparations for field-work were 
completed, and on the 19th of the month the first 
party started, with the first officer. This, like 
the fall party of McGary and Bonsall, was to 
carry out provisions, to be deposited for the use 
of the main exploring and searching party, which 
was to follow under the immediate command of 
Dr. Kane. 

The direction given was to pursue a due north 
course ; and upon reaching the opposite side of the 
channel to deposit there the provisions and return ; 
but unexpected obstacles presented themselves in 
the shape of heavy hummocks and deep snow-drifts. 
The ice in the centre of the strait had, during the 
latter part of the previous summer, been broken up ; 
and drifting masses, crowding upon each other, had 
been piled in confused ridges, and in this state had 
been frozen together. Thus the whole surface of 
the sea was covered ; and Brooks and his party for 
several days, picked a tortuous passage through, or 



INTRODUCTORY. 17 

mounted over, heavy piles of crushed ice, varying in 
height from five to fifty feet. At length the severity 
of the labor broke down the men ; the thermometer 
fell to 55° below zero, and four of the party, includ- 
ing the leader, were frozen and rendered helpless. 
Leaving Hickey to look after these, Ohlsen, Peter- 
sen, and Sonntag returned to the ship, forty-five 
miles distant, which they reached in thirteen hours. 
Immediately a relief party was organized by Dr. 
Kane, and was guided by Ohlsen into the wilderness 
of ice in search of his companions, whom he had 
great reason to fear were lost forever. They were, 
however, found and brought back upon the sledge. 
— For a minute history of this heroic rescue I must 
refer the reader to the narrative of Dr. Kane. 

Soon after the return of this party, the brig was 
visited by a tribe of wild Esquimaux, from whom we 
obtained four dogs, in exchange for knives, needles, 
and pieces of wood and iron. These dogs, with the 
three * already in our possession, made up a full 
team. 

The disastrous effort just made had broken down 
the efficiency of the ship's company ; and it was 
not until late in April that a sufficient number of 
men had recovered to makfe another attempt possi- 
ble. 

On the 26th Mr. McGary started with the lead- 
ing sledge, and on the next day Dr. Kane followed 
with Godfrey and the dogs. This was to have been 
the crowning expedition of the campaign ; but the 

* The four fine teams, obtained by Dr. Kane at Upernavik and Karsuk, 
had all, except the three dogs above mentioned, died during the winter, 
chiefly from the effect of salted food. 
2* 



18 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

same causes again brought defeat. The heavy hum- 
mocks and deep drifts made the travelling so labo- 
rious, that one by one the men broke down, and 
symptoms of scurvy added to the complication of 
troubles. At length the commander, an invalid at 
starting, was prostrated by the severity of his la- 
bors ; he fell into frequent fainting fits, and finally 
became helpless. The party were compelled to put 
back; and by forced marches they brought him on 
board. He was carried up the ship's side insensible. 
The old enemy, scurvy, had again seized upon him, 
and its attack was aggravated by typhoid symptoms 
and dropsical effusion. I may truly say that I lost 
all expectation of seeing him recover, or even rally, 
from his severe prostration; but, with a wonderful 
reactive power, he began, in a few hours, to grow 
better; and he continued to improve rapidly from 
day to day. 

The crew were at this time in a sorry plight. In- 
deed, both officers and men were all, more or less, 
broken. Several were down with frostbite, snow- 
blindness, fatigue, or scurvy ; and only six of the 
whole number were fit for service. The ship was a 
hospital. 

It happened, fortunately, that I had not yet been 
so exposed as to impair my health. I was conse- 
quently able to attend to all the wants of the sick, 
and to perform other duties. 

By the 16th of May Dr. Kane was well enough to 
move about, and, with the aid of our excellent stew- 
ard, to administer to the invalid crew. This left me 
more at liberty, and on the 18th, accompanied by 
Godfrey, I set out to make another attempt to cross 



INTRODUCTORY. 19 

the wilderness of hummocks to the opposite coast. 
I was directed to follow nearly the track of the 
first party. 

I give our simple equipment. Our sledge weighed 
twenty-two pounds ; on this was loaded eighty 
pounds of pemmican, and ten pounds of bread, food 
for ten days, for men and dogs. Eighteen pounds 
more of weight were -added by our lamp and cooking 
apparatus, with lard and rope-yarn for fuel. On top 
of these articles were stowed two bags of reindeer 
skin, each weighing eight pounds, the use of which 
I will presently describe ; and over the whole was 
spread a light canvas cover, which was lashed down 
compactly to the sledge, so that sledge, cargo, and 
all, could be capsized and rolled over and over, as 
frequently happened, without damage. On my back 
were slung a Sharpe's rifle, a small pocket-compass, 
and a sextant. My driver carried only his whip. 
The dogs were lashed to the sledge, as is the 
fashion of the Esquimaux, each by a separate line 
eighteen feet in length, the animals therefore run- 
ning side by side. They were guided entirely by the 
voice and the whip. If the driver wished to go to 
the right, he struck the left-hand dog, or let the 
whip-lash fall upon the snow at his side, and vice 
versa. The team was thus easily directed ; and, 
but that the dogs were continually jumping over 
each other's backs, tangling their traces into inextri- 
cable knots, they would have been as conveniently 
managed as a span of horses. 

Upon encamping, our first duty was to unlash the 
sledge and to unharness and feed the dogs ; our sec- 
ond, was to light the lamp, for melting snow, and 



20 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

cooking coffee or tea. This lamp consisted of a 
sheet-iron cylinder closed at one end, a foot high 
and eight inches in diameter, which was set on the 
ice. In this was placed a little cup of lard, and 
some pieces of rope-yarn or canvas, which, being 
lighted, filled the cylinder with flame ; and in this 
extempore chimney-place, the pot was set to melt 
snow and to boil the water thus obtained. Supper, 
of bread and coffee, and cold pemmican, being over, 
the third duty was to prepare for sleeping. If a 
wind was blowing, we built a snow-house to shelter 
us from it ; but, if calm, we spread out upon the 
ice or snow the reindeer bags which have been al- 
ready described, having previously secured under 
them the harness, and everything not impenetrable 
by the tooth of an Esquimau dog. These wolfish 
fellows will eat anything, from an old shoe up to 
one of their crippled comrades, or a man ; and 
could they get a chance, would, before morning, ef- 
fectually prevent themselves from being harnessed. 
These several occupations over, while my compan- 
ion smoked his pipe, it was my melancholy task, 
with cold fingers, to jot down in my journal the 
doings of the day. Then we went to bed, by crawK 
ing feet foremost into the before-mentioned sleeping- 
bags. In this manner one may rest quite securely, 
even in the open air, if the temperature be not very 
far below zero, in which case a snow-hut becomes 
necessary. Such a hut, if well packed with men, 
soon becomes quite warm, by the heat radiated from 
the persons of the occupants. Although with plenty 
of furs one may generally be warm enough in the 
open air, at almost any temperature, yet I am com- 



INTRODUCTORY. 21 

pelled to say that a sleeping-bag is no very desira- 
ble place in which to spend the night ; for, if you 
expose your head you run great risk of freezing 
that most sensitive organ, the nose ; and if you 
haul your head within doors, or close up the mouth 
of the bag, you run equally great risk of smother- 
ing. It is a nice operation, and one requiring some 
practice, to adjust a proper mean between these 
extremes. 

An adequate idea of the rugged track, over which 
we travelled, can hardly be conveyed by a mere de- 
scription. One moment we were ascending the 
slippery, sloping surface of a huge elevated table of 
ice which had been pressed upward ; then we were 
sliding down another, the sledge on top of the 
dogs, the dogs tangled in their traces, howling pit- 
eously ; men, dogs, and sledge in wild confusion, 
plunging into a snow-drift, or against a cake of ice. 
Sometimes we were halted by a precipice eight or 
ten feet high, up which we were obliged to clamber, 
lifting the sledge, dogs, and cargo, or down which 
we had to leap, the sledge burying itself head fore- 
most in the deep drift ; at other times we picked a 
tortuous passage among the lesser masses, often 
being compelled to turn back to seek an opening. 
Our shelter and rest were invariably obtained in a 
snow-hut or in our sleeping-bags upon the ice. 

One thing the reader must bear in mind in order 
to get a picture of our condition at this time, namely, 
that we had constant daylight. The sun was visible, 
during all the four-and- twenty hours, successively in 
the north, east, south, and west ; and always near 
the horizon. 



22 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

This journey was successful ; but it would not 
have been so without the aid of the dogs. In eight 
days we reached the coast at Cape Frazer, in lati- 
tude 79° 42^ ; but, having only two days' provisions 
remaining, it was impossible to proceed much further; 
and, after making a few additional miles of northing, 
and planting on the top of Cape Frazer a little flag 
mounted on a whipstock,* we turned down the coast 
and I connected my survey with the English explo- 
rations at the mouth of the channel. This survey 
embraced about two hundred miles of the eastern 
coast of the land which now bears the name of the 
chief patron of the expedition, Mr. Henry Grinnell. 
It is the most northern known land on the globe. 
Its eastern and southern limits have been deter- 
mined, but its western and northern are yet un- 
known. It probably extends nearer to the pole than 
any other land.f 

I had been attacked on the second day of this 

* It was at this time that the author observed the harbor at Cape 
Frazer as a suitable place for the head-quarters of an expedition for polar 
discovery. It interests him to think that his little flag still floats in the 
arctic breezes, awaiting the return of the hand which placed it there. 
No white man but the author and his companion has ever trodden that 
land. 

t It may serve to illustrate to the reader some of the peculiarities 
of journeys, like that mentioned in the text, to say, that on C)ur ten 
days' allowance of provision we travelled twelve days, during the last 
two of which myself and companion were without food of any kind. 
We fed our team with the lower extremities of our trousers, which we 
cut for the purpose. These pieces, with an extra pair of boots, were 
dressed with slush, the remnant of the fuel of our lamp, and were eaten 
without difliculty by the dogs. On the ninth day, to enable us to push 
forward to the ship, we were compelled to lighten our load by throwing 
away our sleeping-bags. This restricted us for shelter to the lee of 
snow-banks, with the help of such warmth as the sun vouchsafed to us. 
During the last forty hours we travelled one hundred and twenty miles. 



INTRODUCTORY. 23 

journey with snow-blindness, which did not leave 
me during my absence ; and upon returning to 
the brig I was so blind as to be unable to get on 
board without a guide. I volunteered, however, 
again to take the field ; but the commander, with a 
consideration for my future sight which I appreciate 
now better than I did then, would not permit me to 
leave the ship. The next duty, therefore, devolved 
upon William Morton, the steward, who was the 
only remaining able-bodied man on board who was 
sufficiently instructed to conduct even the most 
rude survey. After having been trained by the as- 
tronomer, Mr. Sonntag, in the use of the sextant, 
Morton left the ship on the 5th of June, with a relief- 
party, and was followed by Hans, the Esquimau 
hunter, on the 10th, with the dogs. 

In view of the fact that I had, in proceeding di- 
rectly north from Rensselaer Harbor, found the track 
to be almost impassable, by reason of the heavy hum- 
mocks, Morton was directed to keep upon the Green- 
land side of the strait, and to make a final start from 
the cache established by McGary and Bonsall in 
October, 1853, liear the base of Humboldt Glacier. 
This spot was reached on the 15th of June ; and, 
separating on the 18th from the relief-party which 
had accompanied him thus far, Morton proceeded 
nearly due north. This course took him eastward 
of the chief line of the drift of the channel ; and he 
found therefore a smoother track than I had previ- 
ously encountered further westward. On the 21st, 
he reached the mouth of a new channel, (to which 
the name of Hon. John P. Kennedy has been given,) 
extending northward from Smith Strait ; and at 



24 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

about ten miles from the eastern shore he came sud- 
denly upon open water. Tracing the margin of this 
water eastward to the land, he mounted to the land- 
ice, and travelling thence northward, having open 
water continually upon his left, he reached, on the 
24th, his extreme latitude, about fifty miles up the 
channel. Finding it impossible to proceed further, 
he ascended to the top of a bluff, four hundred and 
eighty feet in height, and thence looked out to the 
northward upon a boundless, iceless sea. Retracing 
his steps he reached the brig on the 10th of July. 

This journey was the most important one of the 
expedition, and it was attended with more than the 
usual share of difficulties and dangers peculiar to 
ice-travel ; all of which were overcome with manly 
energy and perseverance. 

The finding of open water northward of the ice- 
belt of Smith Strait, is the great discovery of the 
cruise ; and the observations made in connection 
with it, show the extension of this open water far 
northward beyond the line of vision ; thus indicat- 
ing the existence of an iceless area at the centre of 
the Arctic Ocean. 

The return of Morton closed the search. Nothing 
more could be done or attempted at this late period 
of the summer. The ice was breaking up, was al- 
ready crossed by numerous cracks, and was covered 
with sludge. Travelling thus became not only diffi- 
cult and dangerous, but for any considerable distance 
over the ice-fields quite impossible. 

Our commander, after feelingly thanking his of- 
ficers and crew for the promptness and energy with 
which they had seconded his efforts, announced to 



INTRODUCTORY. 25 

US that the objects of the cruise had been attained 
as far as lay within our power. Henceforth our 
thoughts and labors would be directed homeward ; 
and when the little prayer, with which he opened our 
simple meal, was changed from " Lord, accept our 
gratitude, and bless our undertaking," to " Lord, ac- 
cept our gratitude, and restore us to our homes," 
every heart manifested the quickening impulses of a 
new inspiration. 

l^he season, however, showed evident signs of 
backwardness. The open water to the south was 
yet more than thirty miles distant. Our situation 
was critical. 

In order the better to insure our escape. Dr. Kane 
gallantly proposed to lead a party to Beechy Island, 
to apprise the English, there harbored, of our condi- 
tion. It was known to us that the squadron of Sir 
Edward Belcher, or at least a part of it, would return 
home that fall, as soon as liberated from the ice ; and 
in case our brig should remain locked up, we felt 
no doubt that he would come two hundred miles 
out of his way, to render us whatever aid we might 
require. 

The boat "Forlorn- Hope" was once more refit- 
ted, and was carried on a sledge down to the open 
water, which by this time had advanced to Esquimau 
Point. Ilere the boat was launched, and, with five 
as brave fellows as ever pulled an oar, Dr. Kane 
started. 

It was the sixth of August before we saw them 
again. After an absence of almost three weeks, 
they brought back only a record of hard labor and 
sad disappointment. An unexpected obstacle met 



26 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

them in the " North Water." A heavy " pack " 
stretched from shore to shore, across from Jones' 
to Whale Sound. After repeated efforts to bore 
through this barrier, skirting it from coast to coast 
in the interval, they ran short of provisions; and 
were forced to put back. They brought their boat 
through Force Bay, and along the land lead to 
within six miles of the ship. 

This at least was good news. The open water 
had advanced rapidly, and had thus come up as far 
as, during the previous season it had reached at a 
period two weeks later. Every one seemed to feel 
confident that the brig would be liberated. 

With the aid of gunpowder and handspikes, the 
vessel was loosened in her cradle, and was once more 
afloat. She was then warped, inside of the islands, 
down to Fox-trap Point, half a mile from our old 
quarters. Between this point and the Six-mile 
Ravine, the ice was fast, and we lay day after day 
in anxious suspense. Parties were going to and 
fro continually. All the reports showed that the 
open water did not advance. It had come up to the 
Six-mile E-avine as if to permit the entrance of Dr. 
Kane; and there it had stopped. The commander 
made a final journey on the 23d. 

Soon after his return the ship's company were 
called together, and the results of his expedition were 
explained to them. The ice in the centre of the 
channel had broken up, and had drifted down into 
Force Bay. Escape for the brig was hopeless. She 
could not be liberated. Either of two courses was 
now open to us — to remain by the brig and try in 
her the chances of a second winter, or to seek safety 
in our boats to the south. 



INTRODUCTORY. 27 

That everything possible had been done towards 
the attainment of the objects of the cruise, was not 
doubted by any officer or man of the brig's company; 
and certainly the character of the commander might, 
itself, have been relied upon by them, as a sufficient 
guaranty of the hopelessness of further efforts, when 
he had renounced them as fruitless. The question 
was, simply, when we should set out homew^ard, — 
whether we should pass the winter in the vessel, and 
start for Upernavik in the spring ; or make the at- 
tempt without further delay. In either case, we 
must abandon all thought, either of further explora- 
tion, or of preserving the brig. The recent observa- 
tions of Dr. Kane, had been such as to prevent his 
detaching even an experimental party to the south, 
so great did the perils of a journey in that direction 
appear to him. On the other hand, so urgent were 
our necessities, and so difficult of solution the prob- 
lems upon which depended the safety of the persons 
under him, that, although his natural bias as com- 
mander inclined him to stay by the vessel at what- 
ever cost, yet he rightly considered it unjust, now 
that the cruise was in effect ended, to interpose the 
weight of his official authority to determine the 
choice of time for our setting out. He called to- 
gether officers and men, and submitted the whole 
subject for their reflection, giving them twenty- 
four hours for deliberation. In case any of them 
should determine to go, they should have, said 
he, " the best outfit I can give them, an abun- 
dant share of our remaining stores, ^nd my good- 
bye blessing." * 

* Dr. Kane has so clearly explained our circumstances on this trying 



28 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

In .addition to the motives which influenced the 
resolution of others, there were some which had 
peculiar relation to myself as medical officer of the 
brig. To remain in her during the coming winter, 
and thus keep together so large a number of persons 
as the entire company, in quarters so straitened, 
subjected to the worst causes of disease, without the 
most essential means either of prevention or cure, 
would, I felt assured, convert the brig into a mere 
hospital, where the most depressing influences must 
be engendered. Originally prepared for only a single 
winter, we had now completely exhausted our fuel, 
except 750 pounds of coals, after the consumption 
of which we must break up the ship; and our re- 
maining provisions, although ample in quantity for 
the entire company through the winter, consisted 

occasion, that the reader will probably be pleased to have his principal 
statements repeated in connection with the text. 

" ' August 18, Friday. — Reduced our allowance of wood to six pounds- a 
meal. This, among eighteen mouths, is one-third of a pound of fuel for 
each. It allows us coffee twice a day, and soup once. Our fare besides 
this is cold pork boiled in quantity and eaten as required. This sort of 
thing works badly; but I must save coal for other emergencies. I see 
' darkness ahead.' 

" ' I inspected the ice again to-day. Bad ! bad ! — I must look another 
winter in the face. I do not shrink from the thought ; but, while we have a 
chance ahead, it is my first duty to have all things in readiness to meet it. 
It is horrible — yes, that is the word — to look forward to another year of 
disease and darkness to be met without fresh food and without fuel. I 
should meet it with more tempered sadness if I had no comrades to think 
for and protect. 

" ' August 20, Sunday. — Rest for all hands. The daily prayer is no 
longer ' Lord, accept our gratitude and bless our undertaking,' but ' Lord, 
accept our gratitude and restore us to our homes.' The ice shows no 
change: after a boat and foot journey around the entire southeastern 
curve of the bay, no signs ! ' (p. 343.) 

" Everything before us was involved in gloomy doubt. Hopeful as I 
had been, it was impossible not to feel that we were near the climax of 
the expedition, (p. 344.) 



INTRODUCTORY. 29 

mainly of salted meat, which, from its effect in pro- 
ducing and aggravating scurvy, as shown by the last 
winter's sad experience, threatened to be fatal to 
men in our condition. If one half of the company 
should leave the vessel to try the southward journey, 
there would be a sufficient number of men in each 
party to form a complete organization. Those re- 
maining with the vessel would have the professional 
skill of Dr. Kane, with augmented means of health 
and comfort ; and the causes of disease would be 
proportionally diminished. If the travelling party 
should perish by the way, the deaths would probably 
not be more numerous than if all should continue 
together; and whatever the fate of that party, the 
persons at the brig would be in improved condition 
in the spring. 

" And now came the question of a second winter : how to look our 
enemy in the face, and how to meet him. Anything was better than in- 
action ; and, in spite of the uncertainty which yet attended our plans, a 
host of expedients were to be resorted to, and much Robinson Crusoe 
labor ahead. Moss was to be gathered for eking out our winter fuel, and 
willow-stems and stonecrops and sorrel, as antiscorbutics, collected and 
buried in the snow. But while all these were in progress came other and 
graver questions. 

"Some of my party had entertained the idea that an escape to the 
south was still practicable; and this opinion was supported by Mr. Peter- 
sen, our Danish interpreter, who had accompanied the searching expedi- 
tion of Captain Penny, and had a matured experience in the changes of 
arctic ice. They even thought that the safety of all w'ould be promoted 
by a withdrawal from the brig. 

" ' August 21, Monday. — The question of detaching a party was in my 
mind some time ago; but the more I thought it over, the more I was con- 
vinced that it would be neither right in itself nor practically safe. For 
myself personally, it is a simple duty of honor to remain by the brig: 1 
could not think of leaving her till I had proved the effect of the later tides; 
and after that, as I have k»own all along, it would be too late. — Come 
what may, I share her fortunes. 

" ' But it is a different question with my associates. I cannot expect 
them to adopt my impulses; and I am by no means sure that I ought to 
3* 



30 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

It was remembered by all of us, that to make a 
southward journey in boats to Upernavik rather than 
to hazard a second winter in the ice, had previously 
been repeatedly discussed, as among the alternatives 
which awaited us ; and it was a subject long famil- 
iar to all of us. If, after the completion of the spring 
work, the season should be backward, it had been re- 
garded as one of our recognized means of safety, to 
transport boats and provisions over the ice to open 
water, and early in September to push southward. 
This was one of the considerations which originally 
influenced Dr. Kane in favor of wintering in Rens- 
selaer Bay. 

The failure of his late expedition to Beechy Island, 
and the prospect of an early winter, (for the young 
ice was making rapidly,) led him to the conclusion 

hold them bound by my conclusions. Have I the moral right f for, as to 
nautical rules, they do not fit the circumstances: among the whalers, 
when a ship is hopelessly beset, the master's authority gives way, and the 
crew take counsel for themselves whether to go or stay by her. My party 
is subordinate and well-disposed; but if the restlessness of suffering makes 
some of them anxious to brave the chances, they may certainly plead that 
a second winter in the ice is no part of the cruise they bargained for. 

" ' But what presses on me is of another character. I cannot disguise it 
from myself that we are wretchedly prepared for another winter on board. 
We are a set of scurvy-riddled, broken-down men; our provisions are 
sorely reduced in quantity, and are altogether unsuited to our condition. 
My only hope of maintaining and' restoring such degree of health among us 
as is indispensable to our escape in the spring has been and must be in a 
wholesome elastic tone of feeling among the men : a reluctant, brooding, 
disheartened spirit would sweep the decks like a pestilence. I fear the 
bane of depressing example. 

'"I know all this as a medical man and an officer j and I feel that I 
might be wearing away the hearts and energies, if not the lives of all, by 
forcing those who were reluctant to remain. With half a dozen confiding 
resolute men, I have no fears of ultimate safety. I will make a thorough 
inspection of the ice to-morrow, and decide finally the prospect of our 
liberation. 

" ' August 23, Wednesday. — The brig cannot escape. I got an eligible 



INTRODUCTORY. 31 

which he announced to his officers, namely, that the 
"pack" in the North Water, which had baffled him, 
would still remain, and would interpose an insur- 
mountable barrier to any attempt to escape to the 
south. This, however, he submitted to our judg- 
ments as a question upon which each of us was 
now called to think for himself. 

On the other hand, it was believed by Mr. Peter- 
sen, whose long experience of the movements of 
arctic ice entitled his opinion to great respect, that 
this North Water " pack" had never previously been 
observed ; that it was merely accidental ; and that, 
such was the rapidity of ice movements, we had 
every reason to believe that it w^ould entirely dis- 
appear within two weeks. Some of the grounds 
of this judgment will be manifested in subsequent 

position with my sledge to review the floes, and returned this morning at 
two o'clock. There is no possibility of our release, unless by some ex- 
treme intervention of the coming tides. I doubt whether a boat could be 
forced as far as the Southern Water. When I think of the exti'aordinary 
way in which the ice was impacted last winter, how very little it has 
yielded through the summer, and how early another winter is making its 
onset upon us, I am very doubtful, indeed, whether our brig can get away 
at all. It would be inexpedient to attempt leaving her now in boats; 
the watei'-streams closing, the pack neai'ly fast again, and the young ice 
almost impenetrable. 

" ' I shall call the officers and crew together, and make known to them 
very fully how things look, and what hazards must attend such an effort 
as has been proposed among them. They shall have my views unequiv- 
ocally expressed. I will then give twenty-four hours to deliberate; and 
at the end of that time all who determine to go shall say so in Avriting, 
with a full exposition of the circumstances of the case. They shall have 
the best outfit I can give, an abundant share of our remaining stores, and 
my good-bye blessing. 

" ' August 24, Thursday. — At noon to-day I had all hands called, and ex- 
plained to them frankly the considerations which have determined me to 
remain where we are. I endeavored to show them that an escape to open 
water could not succeed, and that the effort must be exceedingly hazard- 
ous: I alluded to our duties to the ship: in a word, I advised them stren- 



82 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

chapters, as the narrative carries us to the region 
to which they respectively relate. It is sufficient 
here to say, that I adopted entirely Mr. Petersen's 
conclusion, and thought that the escape which we all 
meditated was practicable at this time. 

Again : if a party should succeed in the attempt 
to reach Upernavik, (the distance to which was not 
greater than that to Beechy Island,) they would there 
pass the winter, and being directly in the line of the 
Baffin Bay whalers, (which go annually within from 
one hundred to one hundred and fifty miles of Smith 
Strait,) they could give information of the condition 
of the Advance, and by means either of one of those 
whalers or of one of the small sloops known to be 
at the Danish settlements, communication could be 
reopened with Rensselaer Harbor in the spring. 

Perhaps no one, who has never been placed in 

uously to forego the project. I then told them that I should freely give 
my permission to such as were desirous of making the attempt, but that 
I should require them to place themselves under the command of officers 
selected hj them before setting out, and to renounce in writing all claims 
upon myself and the rest who were resolved to stay by the vessel. Hav- 
ing done this, I directed the roll to be called, and each man to answer for 
himself.' 

" In the result, eight out of the seventeen survivors of my party resolved 
to stand by the brig. It is just that I should record their names. They 
were Henry Brooks, James McGary, J. W. Wilson, Henry Goodfellow, 
William Morton, Christian Ohlsen, Thomas Hickey, Hans Christian. 

" I divided to the others their portion of our resources justly and even 
liberally; and they left us on Monday, the 28th, with every appliance our 
narrow circumstances could furnish to speed and guard them. One of 
them, George Riley, returned a few days afterward ; but Aveary months 
went by before we saw the rest again. They carried with them a Avritten 
assurance of a brother's welcome should they be driven back,; and this 
assurance was redeemed when hard trials had prepared them to share 
again our fortunes." (pp. 348 to 351.) Arctic Exphraiions: the Second 
Grinnell Expedition in Search of Sir John Franklin, hy Elisha Kent Kane, 
M. D., U. S.N. 



INTRODUCTORY. 33 

similar circumstances, can appreciate the conflict of 
motives which affected the persons interested in the 
pending question! Yet a decision must be promptly 
made ; and suffice it to say that, after some fluctua- 
tions of judgment, the company was divided into 
two equal parties. One of these was to remain 
with the vessel during the winter. The other, which 
was to venture the journey over the thousand miles 
of ice-girt water which lay between the brig and the 
nearest outpost of christian men, consisted of J. Carl 
Petersen, August Sonntag, Amos Bonsall, George 
Stephenson, George Whipple, John Blake, William 
Godfrey, and George Riley. That party I accom- 
panied. These pages are a record of its fortunes. 



CHAPTER II. 

PKEPARATION. 

As the enterprise upon which we were about to 
start was of our own choosing, and rested upon, our 
own individual responsibility, the commander very 
properly required as a condition of his consent to 
it, that we should formally detach ourselves from 
the organization of the brig's company, and that we 
should effect a separate organization under officers 
elected by ourselves. We had no hesitation in the 
choice of a leader ; for, beside Mr. Petersen there 
was no one in the company who had sufficient ac- 
quaintance with the region through which we were 
to journey, to guide us toward Upernavik. He had 
the experience of twenty years in all the phases of 
arctic life and travel, and he was accordingly unani- 
mously elected to conduct our party. A future 
chapter shall be enlivened by some biographical no- 
tices of him. 

Our preparations for departure were immediately 
commenced. They were simple and soon completed. 
We could carry with us very little, either in weight 
or bulk, since everything had to be transported over 
the ice to the open water. Of the character of the 
ice down to Esquimau Point we had had already a 



PRELIMINARY JOURNEY. 35 

foretaste when Dr. Kane started for Beechy Island. 
It was now incomparably worse. 

All hands turned to with a will to help us off, and 
the 25th was a busy day on board the Advance. Dr. 
Kane directed the boiling of a barrel of pork and 
some beans, and the coppers were filled early in the 
morning. I was chiefly occupied, during the day, in 
getting together my collections of natural history, 
the gatherings of two summers; and in stowing 
them away in the hold, and in my little room down 
by the forecastle. The floral specimens, altogether 
about two thousand individual plants, were wrapped 
in brown paper packages, labelled with date and 
locality, and delivered to the commander. The 
same was done with the small entomological col- 
lection, which was in a cigar-box. The bird skins, 
in all nearly two hundred, were secured in a rat- 
proof chest. The geological and mineralogical spec- 
imens ; the musk-ox, human and other skulls and 
bones ; the bear and seal skins ; the fishes and other 
wet preparations, were in barrels or in the Smith- 
sonian copper-tanks. This work seemed, at the 
time, very useless ; but we knew not what might 
come, nor how many of these things might in the 
end be saved. I parted with deep regret from these 
old friends of my wanderings and dredgings — pets 
mostly collected by myself, which had slowly accu- 
mulated about me. 

We commenced passing our equipment over the 
ship's side about noon of the 26th ;. and whilst some 
of us were thus engaged, others were sledging it to 
the land-ice, and with a rope hauling it up the verti- 
cal wall. The carpenter had made us. a sledge of 



36 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUE^EY. 

incb-plank, shod with hoop-iron, on which and on 
the "Faith," the companion of many a weary day's 
work, was stowed what we would carry; and at 
half-past five o'clock in the afternoon, accompanied 
by Mr.* Wilson, Ohlsen, and Hickey of the remain- 
ing party, we moved southward, with the first load. 

The travelling was bad. The snow-drifts were 
half frozen, half melted; and the ice-foot was cov- 
ered in places with the overflow of the flood-tide, 
now skimmed over with thin ice, too thin to bear, 
thick enough to retard the sledge. In half an hour 
we reached the first ravine, and found that the tor- 
rent formed by the melted snow from the moun- 
tains, had worn the land-ice completely away. The 
sledges were unloaded, and the cargo was carried 
over upon our shoulders. The same operation was 
again performed about a mile further on. 

At five o'clock next morning we reached the Six- 
mile Ravine. The rocky slope was here found to be 
exposed for a space of about forty yards. Being too 
much fatigued to carry over more than our sleeping 
fixtures, and preferring a berth where we were, to 
quarters in the brig at the expense of a walk back, 
we spread out our buffalo skins and blankets upon 
the rocks. 

Our sleep was such as tired men get everywhere; 
and it lasted until three o'clock in the afternoon. 
By seven o'clock we had shouldered the remainder of 
our cargo over the ravine, and turning back toward 
the brig, we reached it in three hours. Stephenson 
and Godfrey, being broken down, were left at the 
encampment. 

Our now dismantled bunks offered a sorry temp- 



PRELIMINARY JOURNEY. 37 

tation, and we made only a short stay in them. By 
eleven o'clock a. m. of the *28th, all was ready for 
a final start. Our full cargo and equipment may be 
summed up as follows. 

We were to take the life-boat from Life-boat 
Cove, near Lyttleton Island, and the whale-boat 
Forlorn Hope, left by Dr. Kane at the Six-mile 
Ravine ; and for transporting our cargo over the 
ice, the little sledge made for us by Ohlsen, and the 
sledge Faith which was loaned to us for a few days. 

For provisions, we had one barrel of parboiled 
pork, a half barrel of raw ditto, fifty pounds of boiled 
beans, five barrels of bread, fifty pounds of coffee, 
and about five of tea ; all sewed up in canvas bags. 

For fuel, we had a large keg of lard (slush, rather) 
and a coil of rope-yarn ; our cooking apparatus being 
a rough portable sheet-tin furnace, a foot in diame- 
ter, and fourteen inches high. Our other culinary 
articles, tossed into a bag of India-rubber cloth, were 
an old copper teakettle, and a well-worn tin pot ; six 
one-pint, and three half-pint tin cups, and ten spoons. 
Our luxuries were a bag of flour, (about twenty 
pounds,) a two-gallon keg of molasses, a case of 
Borden's meat-biscuit, a half dozen bottles of lime- 
juice, and two ditto of vinegar. 

These articles were estimated to last us from four 
to five weeks.* For the rest, we were to rely upon 
our guns. 

* This was the time in which we were expected to reach Upernavik, if 
at all. The amount of our provision was liberally left by the commander 
to our own option; and it was the more readily taken by the party as the 
men who continued with the brig had all that remained of the stores, 
which would have sufficed, in quantity, for eight months for the entire 
company of eighteen, officers and men. 
4 



38 AN AECTIC BOAT JOUKNEY. 

Our personal equipment was on a par with the 
state of the larder. E.very man who had a com- 
plete change of clothing, carried it with him ; and 
most of us were thus furnished. We had worn out 
nearly all of our furs. Our outer garments were, 
therefore, either pilot cloth, seal-skin, or canvas. 
Each took his 'private stock of blankets, averaging 
about one and a half pairs per man. From the 
ship's stores we had half the buffalo robes, (two 
India-rubber lined skins,) relics of the spring jour- 
neys. We were supplied by the commander with 
a sextant, spy-glass, chronometer, boat-compass, 
barometer, one shot gun, and a reasonable quantity 
of ammunition. Bonsall and Petersen had each his 
own rifle. Dr. Kane, Mr. Wilson, Mr. McGary, 
and Morton, who were best provided, generously 
shared with us their clothing. From Wilson I re- 
ceived an under-shirt, and two pairs of good woollen 
socks, and I left him, in exchange, a coat. Sonn- 
tag added to his bag something from Wilson, and 
received a blanket from the captain. Petersen's rifle 
was a present from Dr. Kane to Petersen junior, at 
Upernavik. 

During the morning, while some were packing up 
their " traps," others were carrying our remaining 
stores to the land-ice. Before noon the sledges were 
packed, and all was ready. Dr. Kane then called us 
to the cabin. In some nook or corner of the after- 
port-locker the careful steward had stowed a couple 
of bottles of champagne, the existence of which 
was known only to the commander and himself. 
One of these was drawn from its hiding-place, and 
in broken-handled teacups we exchanged mutual 



THE PARTING. 39 

pledges. The " God speed you " of those who re- 
mained was answered with a reciprocal good wish 
from those who were about to leave. Next moment 
we had shaken hands and said good-bye all around, 
and, mounting the companion-ladder, were off. 

As we slowly moved down the ice-foot, we en- 
deavored to make up in firmness of tread what we 
lacked in lightness of heart. Although our judg- 
ments could not waver, after the serious discussions 
which had led to our choice of alternatives, yet the 
contingencies which awaited each party were suf- 
ficiently impressive to weigh heavily upon us. Our 
messmates at the brig waved us a silent adieu from 
the deck. 



CHAPTER HI. 



THE START. 



Mr. McGary, Hickey, and Hans were detailed 
by Dr. Kane to assist us in transporting our cargo to 
the open water, a lead of which we expected to 
meet at ten miles from the brig. The Six-mile 
Ravine was reached late in the afternoon, and here 
we again camped. 

We were now fairly off; but it was not until next 
day that we fully realized the amount of labor 
which was before us. I was awake at four o'clock 
in the morning ; and, calling one of the men, started 
the lamp to boil some coffee. Leaving him to look 
after the breakfast, I walked a short distance down 
the ice-foot in company with Petersen. The pros- 
pect was rather disheartening. There w^as scarcely 
a foot of water to be seen. The land lead was 
closed with lumps of wasted ice, cemented together 
by the last few days' freezing. All to the northward 
appeared as one unbroken field ; while down the 
coast to the south and west we could see only an 
impacted mass of broken floes, the chasms sepa- 
rating which were bridged over with thin ice. Re- 
turning to the encampment we found our com- 



A DISCOURAGING PROSPECT. 41 

panions busy with preparations for starting. The 
first load was packed on the Faith ; and with all 
hands on the track-ropes, except Mr. Sonntag and 
Stephenson who were both unwell, we moved slow- 
ly southward; and in three hours reached the Ten- 
mile Ravine, four miles further on our course. 

As we approached the outer extremity of the 
cape, our people felt keenly disappointed ; for they 
had confidently expected here to take the water. 
Ice, ice, and nothing but ice was anywhere to be 
seen. There was certainly little that was tempting 
in the prospect. The succor for which they perilled 
their lives seemed a long way off, when they looked 
out over this boundless waste of frozen water. Ten 
miles behind them was the ship, which they had left 
the day before. Between her oaken walls was to be 
found the only shelter within more than a thousand 
miles. Before them, at that distance, was Uper- 
navik, with safety, if it could be reached ; but what 
a wilderness intervened ! A less important object, 
and a less desperate motive to persevere, would have 
been insufficient to sustain us. 

There was certainly some excuse for melancholy 
faces, and questionings as to whether it were not 
wiser to turn back. However, the men all stood firm 
through fourteen hours of continual labor, in the 
teeth of a southerly wind, accompanied with occa- 
sional gusts of snow. During this time we brought 
up all our cargo in three separate loads, leaving be- 
hind only the boat Forlorn Hope ; and we were glad 
enough, after a supper of cold pork, bread, and cof- 
fee, to find, in the tent, shelter from the wind, which 
was fast increasing to a gale. The relief-party, 

4* 



42 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

which had accompanied us thus far, having exhaust- 
ed its allotted time, left us at noon to return on 
board. 

The barometer went down in the night to 28.7, 
and, the temperature rose from 26° to 33°. The 
gale broke upon us directly after we had camped. 
It soon started the ice. First a few open leads ap- 
peared at the head of the bay, and toward Godsend 
Island. At length the floes to the northwest gave 
way, and the loose drift down toward Esquimau 
Point drove rapidly up the channel ; but the shore- 
ice near us did not move. A chain of heavy bergs 
lay grounded off Cape Ingersoll, and they held the 
ice firmly. Oar hope was that the gale would set 
these bergs in motion ; but this hope forsook us 
when we discovered the barometer to be rising and 
the thermometer falling. 

The force of the gale was broken in the afternoon, 
and it died away toward evening, leaving the sea 
open to the southwest. From this water we were 
most provokingly shut out by a narrow belt of hum- 
mocks and trash which were all joined together by 
thin ice, not sufficiently strong to bear. We had a 
good night's rest in our tent, notwithstanding the 
wind, and turned oat at eight o'clock. 

Godfrey fixed the lamp in the lee of a large rock, 
and cooked us a comfortable breakfast of scouse 
and cofiee. The gale was then at its height, and 
we waited from hour to hour in readiness to take the 
water when the ice should move off"; but five o'clock 
came, and brought no change. There was no alter- 
native but to resume our work. Our tent was 
pitched at the mouth of a deep ravine, and before 



"THE FORLOKN HOPE." 4S 

US the land-ice * was entirely gone for at least fifty 
yards. Beyond this it was much wasted away. By 
noon we had brought up the boat, and then we car- 
ried the greater part of our stores a mile further on. 
While this was being done, Petersen was repairing 
the boat. The fact had been disclosed to us the 
day before, that the Forlorn Hope was a forlorn af- 
fair indeed. As she lay under the cliffs where she 
had been left by Dr. Kane, she had become seriously 
damaged. A stone, about the size of one's fist, had 
fallen upon her from the cliff, and, striking her stern- 
post, had started it ; then, glancing off, it had gone 
completely through her half-inch cedar planking; 
while another had rolled down under the bilge, and, 
pushing a plank out of its place, had broken it in 
two. We had the good fortune to possess a hatchet, 
some nails, a few pieces of board, and a little pot of 
white lead ; and with these Petersen patched up the 
holes, and made all right again. 

The boat was then launched ; that is, run down 
over the stones upon her keel toward the water. 
She stuck fast, and we found much trouble in doing 
anything with her. The ice would not support her, 
and yet it was so thick that we could not cut through 
it. We therefore hauled her out again, and resolved 
to await the fiood-tide. 

We crawled back into the tent and slept sound- 
ly until three o'clock next morning, when we were 

* This "land-ice," oi' " ice-foot," as it is indifferently called, is a belt 
which, being glued to the rocks, does not rise and fall with the tide. Its 
outer face is vertical, and its upper surface is mainly smooth and level, 
until toward the close of summer, when the melted snow poured upon it 
from the hills and cliffs on the one side, and the sea on the other, wear it 
rapidly away. 



44 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

aroused by voices outside. Three Esquimaux, a 
boy of about eighteen years, and two women, stood 
at the door of the tent, chattering away as unintelli- 
gibly, and many times as fast as a poll-parrot. The 
boy we had seen before, but the women were new 
to us. They were a miserable looking set. Their 
faces were mottled with soot and oil, through which 
only here and there could be seen the natural cop- 
pery tint of the complexion. They were dressed in 
skins, or rather were scarcely dressed at all, for their 
clothing was in rags and tatters, and seemed just 
ready to drop off. Their hands and faces looked as 
if they had never been washed; and the boy, with 
his long black matted hair cut square across his eye- 
brows, and the women with theirs drawn together on 
the top of the head, where it was tied with a piece 
of leather, presented a most unattractive appearance. 
One of the women carried a baby not more than six 
months old. It was stuck, stark naked and feet fore- 
most, into the after-part of her coat or jumper, being 
supported by a rope, on which it seemed to sit, and 
which came around under the mother's arms and 
was tied about her neck ; its innocent baby-face, 
peering out over the woman's left shoulder from 
beneath her hood, was the very image of stupid un- 
consciousness. 

They were shivering with cold, and asked for 
means to light a fire. We gave them some matches, 
a bit of wood, and two or three needles ; and after 
sharing with us our breakfast, which, salt though it 
was, they were hungry enough to relish, they started 
off down the coast. A few hours after, we learned 
that they knew more than they chose to communi- 



ESQUIMAUX. 46 

cate. Hans came running down the ice-foot, out 
of breath and in a great rage. It was sometime be- 
fore we could get out of him what was the matter. 
When he recovered his breath, he told his story in 
his own language to Petersen ; but in the mean time 
it was nothing but " Smit-Soun Eskemo, no koot ! 
no koot I All same mickey ! — all same dog ! steal 
me bag ! — steal Nalegak buffalo ! " 

The truth was, they had been to the ship and car- 
ried off, among other valuables, a small buffalo-skin, 
and a wolf-skin bag which Dr. Kane had presented 
to Hans. Hence the lad's indignation. The cun- 
ning thieves had taken good care to secrete these 
articles from us. They had probably travelled over 
the land, and approaching the sea, a mile or two 
below, had seen us from the hill-tops, and come to 
beg a trifle. Certainly all they could get by fair 
means or foul was not more than they needed, and 
could we have spared any important articles, I am 
sure no one would have objected to giving them 
what they most required. We were about as badly 
off as they. Hans stopped with us long enough to 
refresh himself with something to eat and a cup 
of coffee, and then continued after the thieves. 

When the full tide had come in we found that 
the ice had relaxed a little, and that there was 
a narrow lead close alongside the ice-foot. The 
boat was again run down and launched. For about 
a hundred yards we got on well enough, but the 
lead was then closed up by pieces of heavy ice, some 
of which had been carried there by the spring-tides 
and were grounded. These obliged us to haul out- 
side where the young ice lay in one continuous sheet. 



46 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

It was found to be of the same character as that 
which we had before encountered. It would not 
break before the bows of the boat, nor would it bear. 
We tried all sorts of expedients. First we cleared 
the thwarts, and four men were put to the oars. 
The points of the blades were driven into the ice, 
the bow having been previously lightened, and every- 
thing stowed in the stern sheets ; but no force that 
we could exert in this manner would drive the boat 
forward. Then two men were stationed in the bow 
and broke the way with the boat-hooks; but this 
was so slow an operation, and fatigued us s.o much, 
that it was abandoned. We therefore drew back 
once more, and after unshipping the cargo, we drag- 
ged the boat upon the ice-foot, and hauled her on 
her keel, down to the place to which we had carried 
the remaining stores the day before. 

These stores were then taken forward upon the 
sledge, at two separate loads, one and a half miles 
further on ; and the boat was afterward carried to 
the same place. Here we again found that a por- 
tion of the ice-foot was washed away ; and beyond 
this break the foot was impassable by reason of the 
frequent fissures which occurred, some of them wide 
and deep. Beside, the icy ledge was in many places 
so narrow or sloping as to be impracticable to a 
isledge. 

The labors of the day had much fatigued us. In 
addition to the fruitless exertion which we had 
made on account of the boat, we were five times 
obliged to unship our cargo from the sledges ; and, 
making pack-horses of ourselves, to transport it piece 
by piece across the broken places in the land-ice, or 



A LITTLE ACCIDENT. 47 

over the narrow fissures on a bridge which we made 
with the sledges. We were, beside, greatly vexed 
by a little accident, which seemed likely to deprive 
us of one of .our few luxuries. Bonsall had taken 
the keg of molasses upon the back of his neck, 
grasping either end of it with one hand, and, while 
trudging along near the edge of the ice-foot, tripped 
and fell upon his face. The keg went rolling over 
his head and down into the sea. Then more than 
two hours elapsed before we could find any water 
for our coffee. The streams seemed to be all dried 
up; and we were obliged to await the return of a 
party from our last encampment before we could 
start the fire. It was seven o'clock when we pitched 
the tent, and we got to bed after ten ; not, however, 
before we had the satisfaction of learning that, the 
tide having fallen, Mr. Bonsall and Godfrey had, by 
means of boat-hooks, fished up the molasses out 
of four feet of water! 



CHAPTER IV. 



ACROSS THE ICE-FIELDS. 



For reasons which appear in the last chapter, no 
course remained to us but to leave the land-ice and 
try once more the "floes." A sudden fall of the 
temperature, during the night and the latter part of 
the previous day, to ten degrees below the freezing 
point of sea-water, had come to our aid. The 
young ice was found to be, in places, three inches in 
thickness, and would securely bear us. 

Accordingly, after breakfast, everything was made 
ready ; and the tide being at its ebb, the boat was 
run down the sloping beach and upon the ice ; and 
although this bent under the weight, yet we reached 
in safety an old floe at about a hundred yards from 
shore. The large sledge was then loaded with our 
clothes-bags and buflalo robes, and started ; but, as 
bad luck would have it, the slope was steep, and the 
two men at the after-guy found it impossible to 
maintain their hold. Their heels flew up, and away 
went the " Faith " down to the right where the ice 
was thin. First, this bent; then one runner broke 
through ; over went the cargo, and into the water 
went everything. 

Fortunately there was nothing on the sledge that 



RETREAT OF RILEY. 49 

would not float; but our clothes-bags were thoroughly 
soaked before we could get our boat-hooks and save 
them. The buffalo robes were wrapped in India- 
rubber cloth, and were scarcely touched by the water. 
Nothing of importance to us was seriously damaged 
except the spirits of our men. Petersen was the 
principal loser. He had brought with him from 
Upernavik a fine bed of eider-down, under which he 
was accustomed to stow himself out of sight every 
night when on board of the Advance. This bed 
he had compressed into a bundle not larger than 
his head, and had put it in his bag. It was thor- 
oughly soaked, and was of course worthless. I 
pitied the man as he unwrapped the flabby thing ; 
yet I could not repress a smile at the workings of 
his rueful face, while he wrung the water from his 
treasure. Smarting under my mirthfulness, and his 
great disappointment, he hastily rolled the whole up 
into a wad, and with an expression, too Danish for 
me to detect of its meaning, more than " Doctor ! " 
and " Sa-tan ! " he hurled it among the rocks. — 
Forty Danish dollars gone forever ! 

During the last four-and-twenty hours the courage 
of some of the party had been steadily on the wane. 
They could see no possibility of our getting at this 
rate to Upernavik. This accident was the straw 
which broke the camel's back ; and while we were yet 
busy with the wet cargo, Riley and John, concluding, 
no doubt, that prudence was the better part of valor, 
beat a hasty retreat toward the brig. John rejoined 
us soon afterward, but Riley remained* on board. 
The number of our party was thus reduced to eight 
persons. 



50 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

The work nevertheless went on. A half hour was 
sufficient for wringing the. water out of our baggage 
and spreading the articles upon the rocks. With 
more caution than before, we ran another load over 
to the boat. At six o'clock in the afternoon, we had 
collected together all of our cargo, and were ready 
once more to move onward. In the mean time 
Godfrey had been moping on the rocks. I gave to 
him peremptorily the option, to go back to the ship 
at once, or to go to work. He chose the latter. 

Hans joined us again at noon. He had overtaken 
the Esquimaux, but had not found the stolen articles 
upon them. It was his wish to go with us, and now 
that our party was reduced to seven, (John had not 
yet returned,) and the party on board increased to 
eleven, he thought it unfair that we refused him. I 
desired Petersen to tell him that we could not take 
him without the permission of Dr. Kane. He worked 
with us during the remainder of the day, no doubt 
hoping that by this act of devotion we would be in- 
duced to relent ; but it was clearly our duty to send 
him back. 

The old floe, to which we had brought our boat 
and cargo, was rough and rotten. On the further 
side of it was a belt of new ice. Beyond this we 
could see open water, which Hans informed us con- 
tinued nearly to Godsend Island, to the south of 
which, with the exception of a narrow belt, all was 
free. We worked hard, hoping to reach this open 
water, but eleven o'clock found us only at the margin 
of the old field. Already we had been in the traces 
fourteen hours ; and at least six more would be re- 
quired to make the remaining distance. The peo- 



GIVING UP " THE FAITH." 51 

pie were exhausted and must have rest, come what 
might. We therefore pitched our tent, and, by mid- 
night, were all fast asleep. 

An hour after, we were aroused by McGary and 
Goodfellow, who had come down after the Faith. I 
explained to them that they must have mistaken 
their orders, since we were to have the sledge until 
we reached the water; that they had two good 
sledges at the ship, and the one which we had was 
not needed in addition ; but they showed a letter 
from Dr. Kane containing an order to bring the 
Faith to the ship. Although satisfied that a mis- 
apprehension existed (as subsequently was ascer- 
tained to be the fact), we sent back the sledge. The 
party left us in half an hour. They made in one 
continuous march the journey to and fro, altogether 
little less than thirty miles, without rest or food, over 
a bad road, with the thermometer at 17°. We after- 
ward learned that they had worked all the day be- 
fore at the ship, had started after supper, and were 
at home to breakfast. 

We were out of our blankets at six o'clock next 
morning. The temperature had fallen to 15"^. The 
air was perfectly calm. The open water, which 
looked so hopeful yesterday, was now covered with 
a thin crust of ice. The day began rather dis- 
couragingly. 

The sledge made for us by the carpenter had been 
found to be utterly worthless ; and, after the first day, 
it had been carried, not under, but on top of the cargo. 
It was so frail that it would not hold together j and 
the thin hoop-iron sole was cracked. Bad, how- 
ever, as it was, it was all that we had, and we 



52 AN AKCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

must make the most of it. Petersen, whose inge- 
nuity we had reason to commend on many subse- 
quent occasions, did the best that he could under the 
circumstances. The broken iron was patched, and 
the lashings were re-arranged. By nine o'clock, all 
was ready to start. 

Meanwhile, some of the party had been carrying 
forward such articles as they could transport upon 
their backs ; and some of the heavier ones were 
swung upon oars and carried, upon two men's shoul- 
ders, to the place where open water had been seen 
the previous evening. Such articles as could not 
be thus transported were left for the sledge, which 
brought them up in three loads. Then the boat was 
dragged to the same spot upon her keel. The water 
was now found to be covered with ice about an inch 
in thickness. 

The stores being placed in the boat, we ran her out 
upon the thin ice ; and as the bows sank down, we 
sprang over the gunwale, and found ourselves afloat 
in a puddle of water which fitted us exactly. How 
to get on was the next question. Three men took 
oars, the others took poles and boat-hooks. The 
blades of the oars were planted in the ice, and the 
boat-hooks astern. The result of the operation was 
to split an oar, to break a thole-pin, and to precip- 
itate the surgeon of the expedition into the water. 
He was stationed in the sternsheets, and was push- 
ing with much energy with a boat-hook, planted 
in the ice, when the hold broke, and the area of 
the open water was increased by the size of his 
body. 

The ice was too strong to be cut by the boat's 



HARD WORK. 53 

stem ; and, but for Stephenson, we should have been 
obliged once more to haul back upon the floe, and 
try again the sledging. Stephenson wore a pair of 
thick cowhide boots, professedly water-proof, which 
came up a foot above his knees ; and with these he 
proposed to tramp a track. He stationed himself 
astride of the bow, seized the top of the stem-post 
with both hands, and, treading to right and left, he 
broke up a passage from two to three feet in width, 
through which the boat was squeezed. The ice be- 
came thinner as we advanced, and we made better 
progress. 

Thus we gained about four miles, which brought 
us to the land at the head of Force Bay. Mounting 
to the ice-foot, which was here very narrow and 
almost impassable, we tracked the boat, in true canal 
style, a mile or two further, when we again brought 
up against ice which would bear us. Again the 
cargo was unshipped, and was carried over to an old 
floe, about a hundred yards from shore. Here we 
pitched our tent. 

This kind of work was rapidly reducing the 
strength of our people. Constant labor during six- 
teen hours is not child's play anywhere ; but, with 
wet feet and often wet bodies, in a temperature vary- 
ing from 12° to 20°, it was more than any one could 
prolong. Several of us had fallen through the ice 
during the day ; and Stephenson, who was a scorbu- 
tic invalid at starting, felt seriously the effects of hav- 
ing his feet so long in the water. Petersen, who had 
suffered during the whole summer from scurvy and 
rheumatism, felt his pains coming back ; and Mr. 
Sonntag was threatened with his old heart trouble. 

5* 



54 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

I believe there was scarcely one of us who did not 
take his sick man's growl as he rolled into his 
blankets. 

While the supper was cooking, I went with Peter- 
sen and Sonntag to the shore, and from a bluff about 
one hundred feet in height we had a fine view to the 
westward. About six miles away, the sea was per- 
fectly open, and a light wind which blew in from 
that direction was eating into the young ice which 
margined it, and, by keeping its surface agitated, 
prevented its freezing. With a good sledge, another 
day's pull would finish this soul . and body killing 
work ; but, with the rickety affair with which we 
had occupied eight hours in making half a mile, we 
had a hopeless task before us. Indeed, it looked 
very much like folly to attempt it. We could not 
hope to make the six miles in less than three days. 
Already the temperature was down to 12°. Three 
days would carry us to the 6th of September, and 
then the prospect of getting out of the bay would 
be slight indeed. 

We had just got fairly into the midst of our nap 
when we were aroused by Morton. He had come 
down to bring back the Faith, and he carried a letter 
from Dr. Kane, explaining the cause of its with- 
drawal. From what he had learned, he had feared 
that adverse counsels existed in the party, that it had 
been divided, and that the sledge no longer remained 
in the possession of the officers. 

Hickey and Riley accompanied Morton. Riley 
was to remain with us until we got to open water, 
and then take back the sledge. Morton and Hickey 
were to go in pursuit of the Esquimaux thieves. 



ESQUIMAUX PRISONERS. 55 

A bed was fitted up for them in the boat, and there 
they slept soundly until ten o'clock next morning. 
By eleven, everything was packed up, and the sledge 
loaded ; and, as the men ran away with it, the de- 
spondency which settled over them the previous even- 
ing took hasty flight. There would be now no diffi- 
culty in reaching the water. 

Hickey was sick, and stayed at the camp, while 
Riley took his place and went on with Morton. In 
half an hour Riley came back dripping wet ; he had 
fallen through the ice. Morton had gone on alone. 
He returned late in the afternoon, having the Es- 
quimaux with him. He had overtaken them near 
Refuge Inlet, where they had halted to divide their 
booty. The skins were all nicely made by them into 
coats and pantaloons, which had usurped the place 
of their old ragged, filthy seal-skins. They looked 
much improved in their borrowed plumes, and strut- 
ted about, seeming not to be aware of the fact that 
they were prisoners ; and very proud were they, sup- 
posing that they had obtained the skin of an uming- 
mak, (musk-ox,) an animal of which they had heard, 
but which they had never seen. The tribe have, how- 
ever, traditional knowledge of the existence of the 
musk-ox to the far north. They were once inhab- 
itants of that part of Greenland visited by us above 
Cape Alexander. My collections of natural history, 
left at the Advance, contained at least a dozen skulls, 
picked up at different points along the coast ; and, 
eighty miles eastward of Rensselaer Harbor, nearly 
at the base of the mer de glace, specimens of them 
were found by Mr. Wilson and myself in the autumn 
of 1853. It seems, therefore, that they were numer- 



56 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

ous in that region in former times ; though, from the 
fact that no living specimens were observed by us, 
nor any seen by the natives, we may infer that the 
animal has long since become extinct in Greenland. 
I do not doubt the truthfulness of the Esquimau 
tradition of their existence to the far north, on an 
island, in an iceless sea. 

To return to the narrative : Morton and Hickey 
soon left us with their newly-clad prisoners, and 
the work of transportation went on in much the 
same manner as during the two previous days ; but 
we progressed more slowly than we had anticipated. 
Once we reached a wide crack that had been opened 
by the tide, which obliged us to ship our cargo into 
the boat, and unship it again on the other side, 
thus occasioning the loss of much time. Another 
crack we attempted to cross on its bridge of thin 
ice. It held up very well, bending slightly, but not 
breaking, under our several loads, until the boat 
broke its back, and let all of us down into the water 
except those who had hold of the track-ropes. 

The main open water was not reached until mid- 
night. Everything was embarked in the boat, and, 
leaving Petersen with four men to bring it over to 
Esquimau Point, which was about two miles dis- 
tant, I walked with the remainder of my comrades 
around upon the ice to the land. After taking a 
look-out from a neighboring bluff, we joined the 
others where they were hauled up at a short dis- 
tance from the shore, being unable to approach 
nearer on account of the heavy ice which had set 
in, and which lay grounded and hemmed in by the 
rocks. We found that they had preceded us by 



PROTRACTED EXERTION. 57 

an hour and a half, as was shown by the steaming 
pot of coffee with which we were welcomed. 

On our way down to the beach from the hill-side, 
we stopped at the old dilapidated hut which gives 
the name to the locality. Here we had the good 
fortune to find a piece of walrus meat, which we 
supposed had been left by Morton's prisoners ; and 
which, as we had tasted no fresh food since leaving 
the ship, we thought it no sin to appropriate to our 
own use. We left in its place a wooden staff, which, 
in the eyes of the Esquimaux, would be ample com- 
pensation. With the addition of a few pieces of 
pork, the meat thus provided made us a fine sup- 
per. 

The view which we obtained from the hill showed 
the coast to be mainly free from ice as far down as 
the eye could reach, and out to sea for three or four 
miles. Beyond this distance there lay a heavy pack, 
which was held off from the shore by a long chain of 
dangerous looking bergs. The lead was tempting, 
but there was no wind, and we could only go on un- 
der oars. Our people were incapable of such exertion. 
They had had another day of sixteen hours' contin- 
ued work, and must have rest. Hoping for the best, 
— that the lead would remain open, — we pitched 
our tent upon the level surface of a piece of old ice 
which lay grounded near the shore; and at three 
o'clock in the morning we turned in, weary and cold, 
as men with wet clothes would naturally be after 
so protracted exertion, with the temperature at 11°, 
but happy as temporary success could make us. We 
were so far overcome that we retired to rest without 
setting a watch. 



58 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

When we awoke next morning, a smart breeze 
was blowing from north-northeast. Petersen went 
on shore to reconnoitre, and soon returned, reporting 
the ice closing in with the land. Our baggage was 
shipped into the boat as quickly as possible. Giv- 
ing the Faith into the charge of Riley, and bidding 
him a hasty adieu, we pulled up to windward to 
clear the Point ; and then, shaking out our sails, we 
stood away exultingly on our course, west-south- 
west. 



CHAPTER V. 



UNDER SAIL. 



The Forlorn Hope was an ordinary New London 
whale-boat, twenty-four feet in length, two and a 
half in depth, and with five and a half feet beam. 
She had been rigged by Mr. McGary for Dr. Kane's 
southern journey in July, with a foresail and a main- 
sail, — the first with twelve, and the last with four- 
teen feet, lift ; and a jib. Eight men, with their 
baggage, brought her gunwale down within four 
inches of the water. Notwithstanding this, we 
made nearly four knots ; and for a while everything 
looked promising ; but below Anoatok, which is five 
miles southwest of Esquimau Point, we found that 
the icebergs came in close to the land, and no longer 
held off the pack. Our lead was closed. 

After beating about for a while in search of an 
opening, we drew up, much disappointed, alongside 
of a lump of old ice, which was about twenty yards 
square and thirty feet in thickness. Its surface lay 
about four feet out of the water ; and, being quite 
level, afforded a good camping-ground. Upon this 
table we unshipped our cargo ; and Petersen taking 
the boat, with two men, pulled up to a little berg 
near which we had observed a flock of unfledged 



60 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

ducks. He returned in an hour with eleven birds, 
eight of which made us a good supper. 

We waited here until late in the evening, hoping 
that a change of tide would open a passage ; but the 
pack only closed tighter and tighter, finally cdmpel- 
ling us to haul our boat up on the ice, to save it 
from being crushed. The wind still blew from the 
north-northeast, bitterly cold ; temperature 15°. At 
ten o'clock we pitched the tent and turned in. 

Petersen had the morning watch, and went on 
shore to observe the ice. At first everything re- 
mained as it was the evening before ; an apparently 
endless collection of immensely heavy floes were 
locked against the capes of Refuge Harbor. Sud- 
denly something appeared to give way. First a few 
pools of water were visible ; then lead after lead 
opened in every direction through the pack. In a 
little while the ice had spread itself out over the sea, 
and was moving off to the west and south. Peter- 
sen watched the shifting scene until he became 
satisfied that the change was permanent. Then 
running quickly down the hill, he cried to us from 
the shore, " Haste ! haste ! the lead opens." He 
was just in time to spring aboard the frozen raft on 
which we had taken refuge, as it moved away. 

We were out of our blankets and buffaloes in a 
twinkling. The Hope was quickly launched and 
stowed. While this was being done, the cook had 
prepared a hasty breakfast, which being more hastily 
swallowed, we dropped down into the boat, and, 
with all sails set, ran off before the wind for the 
capes of Refuge Harbor. 

The movements of these ice-fields are as strange 



AFLOAT. — LIFE-BOAT BAY. 61 

as they are rapid. We started from Esquimau 
Point with every prospect of an unobstructed pas- 
sage, and before we had gone six miles the lead was 
closed. So it remained during the day. In a few 
hours the wind hauled around two points to the east, 
and the whole aspect of things was changed. The 
ice began to move ; the floes separated ; the cracks 
widened ; until finally there was no barrier at all ; 
and in an open sea, dotted only here and there by 
a floe, we were spinning down the coast at the rate 
of four knots an hour. 

In three hours we left behind us the brown knobby 
blufls which form the horns of Refuge Harbor ; and 
in another hour we were close under the granite wall 
of Cape Hatherton. Then opened the low lands of 
Life-boat Bay, and behind these the dark stratified 
cliffs supporting an extensive table-land which, ele- 
vated a thousand feet above the ocean, stretches 
away far into the interior. 

Life-boat Bay is a broad shallow arm of the sea. 
It is studded on its northern side with •little islands ; 
while its eastern shore is cut into numerous coves 
or bights, by low rocky points. On the main land, 
two miles northeast from Lyttleton Island, and six 
miles south of Cape Hatherton, at the head of the 
most southern of these coves, lay the Francis' me- 
tallic life-boat, left by Dr. Kane in August 1853, 
which was to form the second vessel of our fleet. 
Of this boat we were now in search. 

We made good progress for nearly an hour after 
rounding Cape Hatherton, having, 'during that time, 
passed about three miles of the coast, and we were 
congratulating ourselves that all was free, when the 

6 



62 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

look-out cried, " ice ahead ! " There it was, sure 
enough, about a mile before us, — a long white line, 
against which the surf was breaking. 

We ran down within a quarter of a mile of it, 
hoping all the time that we should find a lead ; but 
no opening could anywhere be seen. The pack was 
jammed tight together, and against the southern 
shore of the bay ; and stretching off to the southwest, 
it seemed to block up the channel between Lyttle- 
ton Island and the main land. 

The course of the boat was changed to the west, 
and, although the wind was increasing, we deter- 
mined to run outside the island and endeavor to 
reach the cove from the south ; but here, again, we 
were headed off; a tongue of the pack stretched up 
to the north as far as we could see. To haul close 
on the wind and run up the edge of the ice was out 
of the question. With a less heavily laden boat 
this could easily have been accomplished ; but al- 
ready we were shipping much water, with the wind 
on the quarter. Two points more around must 
swamp us. A sea breaking over the gunwale con- 
vinced us of the danger of the attempt, and again 
the boat was headed south. 

It became now evident that we were in great 
jeopardy. We had run down into a bight, with a 
lee-shore to the east, and ice to the south and west. 
We were in the bend of a great horseshoe. 

There was no time to get out the oars and pull 
up to windward ; the boat could not have lived long 
enough to get her head around to the waves. The 
cargo was piled upon the thwarts, and a quarter of 
an hour would scarcely have sufficed to clear them. 



IN JEOPARDY. 63 

Something must be done, and that quickly. The 
wind increased in violence, the waves rolled higher 
and higher. We could only run dov^n upon the ice 
and trust to luck. Choosing a point to the south- 
west, where the pack looked weakest, we brailed up 
the mainsail, took a hasty reef in the foresail, hauled 
in the jib, and ran for it. John took the steering 
oar, Petersen conned the boat from the forecastle, 
Stephenson held the sheet, Bonsall stood by the brail 
of the foresail, and the rest of us took whatever of 
boat-hooks and poles we could lay hands on, to 
« fend off." 

The boat bounded away. " See any opening, 
Petersen?" "No, sir!" An anxious five minutes 
followed. " I see what looks like a lead ; we must 
try for it." " Give the word, Petersen." On flew 
the boat. " Let her fall off a little — off! — Ease off 
the sheet — so — steady ! — A little more off — so ! 
— Steady there — steady, as she goes ! " Our skilful 
pilot was running us through a narrow lead which 
terminated in a little bight, where the water was, 
fortunately, smooth. We -were beginning to hope 
that it would carry us through the pack, when he 
cried out, " It's a blind lead ! " " Tight everywhere ?" 
" I see no opening ! " " There's a crack to wind- 
ward." " Can't make it ! — Let go the sheet — brail 
up — fend off!" Thump, crash, push. The stem 
struck fair, and the force of the blow was broken by 
the poles. In an instant all hands sprang out upon 
the floe. The boat did not appear to have been 
seriously damaged. 

Our harbor was only temporary. The ice was in 
rapid motion, and in a moment the whole face of 



64 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

things about us was changed. A large floe, which 
had kept off the waves, commenced to revolve. In 
few minutes there was only a tongue, a few feet 
wide, to protect us from the surf. The ice pressed 
close upon the boat ; the spray dashed over our 
heads. The cargo was unshipped as quickly as pos- 
sible, and the Hope was hauled up in time to save 
her. The stores were next tumbled into a heap, out 
of the reach of the spray. This had scarcely been 
done, when the floe broke in two. The crack open- 
ing rapidly, separated the Hope from her cargo. 
Here was a dilemma, and it promised to be a seri- 
ous one ; but, luckily, the piece upon which the 
boat stood was caught by another drifting mass, 
which slewed it around and tongued it upon a cor- 
ner of the field from which it had been detached. 
The boat was quickly run over ; and, with thankful 
hearts, we now saw, what we had no reason to ex- 
pect at any time during the last fifteen minutes, 
all of our valuables together in, at least, temporary 
safety. The whole pack was moving, grinding, 
squeezing, and closing. Presently, a large floe re- 
volved to the eastward and settled down against the 
field upon which we had taken refuge. In half an 
hour there was no open water within a hundred 
yards of us. 



CHAPTER VI. 

A GLOOMY NIGHT. 

Everything now appearing to be secure, Bonsall 
and myself, accompanied by two of the men, set off 
over the ice to try to reach the life-boat on foot. 
The head of the cove where it lay was distant two 
miles ; we were at about the same distance from Lyt- 
tleton Island. The floes were tightly packed, and 
we found no difficulty in accomplishing our purpose. 
The depot was reached in an hour. 

It remained undisturbed ; evidently not having 
been discovered by the natives. The boat was 
turned bottom up, and under it lay the articles de- 
posited there by Dr. Kane. These were, besides the 
oars and sail, two barrels of bread, one of pork, and 
another of beef; about thirty pounds of rice, the 
same quantity of sugar, a saucepan, an empty keg, 
a gallon can of alcohol, a bale of blankets, an ice 
anchor, an ice chisel, a gun, a hatchet, a few small 
poles, and some pieces of wood. 

We could not take much of this provision, since 
we were compelled to carry everything upon our 
backs. We, however, selected such articles as were 
most needed, and as could be most readily trans- 
ported in this manner. These were, one barrel of 
bread, the saucepan filled with sugar, ten pounds 

6* 



66 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

of rice, the empty keg, the hatchet, the gun, and the 
boat's equipment, including the ice anchor and chisel, 
two poles, and a small bundle of wood. We needed 
badly some of the pork for fuel, since our slush keg 
was getting low ; but we could not take it. 

Ascending the hill-side a little way, we observed 
that the eastern shore of Lyttleton Island was mainly 
free from ice, while the pack was locked upon its 
northern cape, and stretched up the west and north 
as far as we could see. From the beach where we 
stood, to the open water of this island, was about a 
mile. It v^as fully double that distance to where our 
companions lay with the Hope. 

Since we must drag the boat and cany the cargo, 
we chose the shortest distance, intending to reach 
Lyttleton Island, and there await the breaking of the 
storm, the loosening of the pack, and the arrival of 
the Hope. The boat was run down over the ice-foot 
and dragged out upon the floes. The barrel of bread 
was swung upon an oar and carried by John and 
Godfrey. The smaller articles, oars, sail, &c., were 
brought on as we could manage them. 

The boat was light, and had the track been 
smooth we should have progressed well enough ; but 
after leaving the land-ice our route lay over a closely 
jammed pack of pieces of ice, of almost every shape 
and size ; some of them being a foot out of water, 
others ten feet. One moment we were hauling the 
boat up a precipice, the next letting her down over 
another. Added to this difficulty was the feeling of 
constant insecurity, for it would have been perfectly 
in character for the whole raft suddenly to take flight 
to seaward. We were consequently compelled to 



LYTTLETON ISLAND. 67 

keep our different articles as near together as possi- 
ble. First we carried forward the boat about a hun- 
dred yards, then piece by piece the cargo and equip- 
ment. The same operation being repeated about 
a dozen times, we reached finally, in six hours, the 
open water. 

By this time it was blowing a regular gale, still 
from the northeast. The pack had partially broken, 
and some loose pieces were drifting rapidly down 
through the channel. To work between these driv- 
ing masses was an operation attended with no little 
difficulty. Once we came near being crushed. 

Lyttleton Island, which was at length reached, 
is the largest of the granite knobs which lie in a 
cluster at the south side of Life-boat Bay. It is 
about three quarters of a mile in diameter, and is 
separated from the main land by a channel about 
half a mile in width. We pulled down this channel 
to the southwest, and sought a lee on the southern 
side ; but no lee could we anywhere find. Reaching 
the extreme point we were met by a gust of wind 
which came howling through the narrow strait sep- 
arating Lyttleton Island from McGary's Rock, driv- 
ing us back to face a similar blast which came from 
the other side. 

Everything gave promise of a dirty night. The 
sky was overcast. Light clouds went flitting wildly 
across the sky, breaking now and then and disclos- 
ing a twinkling star of the first or second magni- 
tude. It was not dark, for the sun was not yet far 
beneath the horizon ; but a dull, gloomy twilight. 
Already we were wet to the skin with the dashing 
spray. The mercury stood at 22°, and the water 



68 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

was freezing upon our clothes. We must either 
land on the island, or run before the wind down 
under Cape Ohlsen, five miles south. This last 
would carry us too far from our comrades of the 
Hope, and we determined to land on the island if 
possible. Our metallic boat would stand a good 
deal of thumping. There were no breakers ; but the 
swell, which came in from the west, made the sea 
anything but smooth. With a wooden boat it would 
have been dangerous to approach the rocks. 

The shore was steep, almost perpendicular ; and 
it was some time before we found a place which 
offered the least chance for executing our intention. 
At length we discovered a little cove, or rather a cleft 
in the rock, about twenty feet in width and twice as 
deep. The rocks to the right and behind were verti- 
cal ; but the cleft ran off to the left, and there the 
rock sloped gradually upward. If we could strike 
this inclined plane, by a fortunate turn of the boat 
after entering, we should be landed in safety. The 
boat was headed square for the opening, the men gave 
way on their oars, and we rode in on the top of a 
swell which, as it retreated, left us high and dry. 
Next moment all hands sprang out, and, seizing the 
boat by the gunwale, hauled her out of danger. 

As we came across the ice, John had discovered 
a wounded duck sitting behind a hummock, and 
secured her with an oar. A fire was kindled in a 
crevice in the rock; the saucepan was half filled 
with sea-water, and the four quarters of the unfor- 
tunate eider were soon boiling in it. The head was 
knocked out of the bread-barrel, and eight biscuits 
were added to the contents of the pot. 



BLOWING A GALE. 69 

We were too cold and too nearly famished to wait 
with much patience, and the stew was speedily pro- 
nounced done. Plates and spoons we had none, so 
each one handled his share of the duck, and then 
we took turns with the lid for the soup. 

This hot meal warmed us up a little, but with it 
vanished our stock of comforts. With a cup of coffee, 
or even tea, we should have made out very well. 

There was a gloomy prospect for the night. No- 
where could we find protection against the wind, 
which not only swept in from the sea, but came 
furiously down upon us through the rocky gorges. 
We had not as much as a blanket to cover us, 
and the cold gusts blew most cruelly through our 
water-soaked cloth coats and canvas pantaloons. 
We clambered about in the darkness along the 
rocky ledge, under a great black wall, hunting in 
vain for a lea ; but no sooner had we found a place 
which seemed to offer us protection, than the wind 
shifted. Indeed, it seemed to blow, in one and the 
same minute, from every quarter of the heavens, 
north, south, east, and west; and when it could not 
get at us from either of these directions, it rolled 
down over the cliffs and fell upon us like an ava- 
lanche. We returned to the place where we had 
landed, and erected an extempore tent. One end of 
an oar was thrust into a crack in the rock, the other 
end was supported upon the barrel. Over this was 
spread the sail. After securing the corners with 
heavy stones we crawled in, but we thus obtained 
only a sorry protection. The wind came in on every 
side. Bonsall and Godfrey finally gave way under 
the pressure of fatigue and long exposure, and shiv- 



70 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

ered themselves to sleep. I would have given much 
to be able to forget, in like manner, all care and 
trouble; but it was out of the question. Unable 
longer to bear the cold, I drew myself out from 
the sail, determined to thaw my frozen blood by a 
run about the island. John followed, muttering 
something like, " I believe they could sleep with their 
heads in a tub of water." 

I was nearly blown off as I clambered up the steep 
rocks, but I reached at length the level table above, 
and ran to and fro from east to west, and from west 
to east, for about an hour, until I had got pretty well 
warmed ; I then faced about and ran in the teeth of 
the gale to the north cape of the island. To the 
north, west, and south, the sea was dotted with 
bergs, loose hummocks, or streams of pack-ice, 
against which the waves were lashing themselves 
into frosty foam. To the northeast I could trace 
the outline of the solid pack in one long line of dash- 
ing spray. There I had left four comrades. There 
they must have remained, but the mist and darkness 
were too great to permit me to detect them. It was 
now about midnight. 

I took another turn about the island and came 
back to the same spot. The wind was blowing 
less fiercely ; the clouds opened, and moved sullenly 
away; and the stars shone out in unobstructed beau- 
ty. The pack had separated, and great streams of ice 
were pouring down through the channel to- the east- 
ward, as through a sluice-gate.. I went down to a 
point where I could command a full view of the chan- 
nel and watched every piece of ice, expecting to see 
the Hope and her crew adrift. I had not looked 



LOOKING FOR THE "HOPE." 71 

long before I discovered something dark upon one of 
the floating fields. It was a man, and I soon made 
out that it was John. I called to him, but he either 
did not hear, or did not heed me. The tumult might 
well have drowned my voice. What he was doing 
there, or how he had got there, I could not imagine. 
He was standing in the middle of the crystal raft, 
with nothing around him but the raging waters 
which w^ere breaking over it. Directly the floe floated 
into the midst of a long stream of broken masses. 
The moment the collision came he sprang forward, 
and then away he went bounding from floe to floe, 
springing crack after crack with the fleetness of a 
deer. Once again I saw him adrift upon an isolated 
field, and thus he must have floated several minutes, 
before the pack closed up. I watched him until he 
was lost to sight in the mist and spray and dark- 
ness. 

I had for some time entertained serious apprehen- 
sions for the safety of our comrades with the Hope, 
and these apprehensions were sharpened by this- 
incident. With these fears were now mingled 
anxiety for the safety of John. It was evident that 
he was not upon the ice by any accident, but de- 
signedly ; and I could imagine nothing that would 
induce him to run such a dare-devil's race, but to 
render assistance to Petersen and his party. He 
was making directly for the point where we had left 
them, as nearly as the elements would allow ; and I 
could give no other explanation of his conduct than 
that he had detected the party, had seen them in 
distress, and had run this risk to help them. 

Bonsall and Godfrey were at length frozen out of 



72 AN AKCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

the tent and joined me on the hill. I communicated 
to them my fears respecting the party. I sent God- 
frey to watch to seaward. Bonsall went to the 
north cape, and I remained in my old position. The 
night wore on ; daylight came slowly back ; the 
wind died away to a fresh breeze ; the sea was 
going down; the spray leapt less wildly; yet noth- 
ing could we see of the boat. 

At length a change of tide brought a change of 
scene ; the ice was set in motion ; the pack, which 
had so closely hugged the land, was loosened ; and 
it stretched its long arms out over the water to the 
westward. Broad leads ran through the body of it. 
Bonsall's quick eye first detected something dark 
moving upon the water. " I see the boat," he 
shouted to me, — " Where away ? " — " Coming 
down through the in-shore lead." There she was, 
with all sail set, bearing directly for the island. By 
eight o'clock her party brought up on the south side 
of our encampment. I counted them as they floated 
by : one, two, three, four, five — John was there. 

The swell was still too high to permit them to 
touch the rocks with their frail boat ; we therefore 
launched the metallic boat, and following them under 
oars, pulled around behind Cape Ohlsen. Here was 
found a snug little harbor with a low shingly beach. 
The cargo was unshipped, and the boats were 
hauled up at half-past eleven o'clock. The sun's 
slanting rays shone directly in upon us from the 
south ; the mercury went up to 28°. Not a breath 
of air rippled the water. No surf beat upon the 
shore. What a contrast to the tumultuous scenes 
of yesterday ! From a little stream of melted snow 



RE-UNION. 73 

which trickled down the mountain ?ide, we filled our 
kettles ; the lamp was fired ; and in an hour and a 
half the cook had ready for us a good pot of coffee, 
and a stew of the young eiders which were left from 
the day before ; to which were added some pieces 
of pork, and a young burgomaster gull, which had 
been shot on the way from Lyttleton Island. While 
this substantial breakfast was being eaten, we inter- 
changed our stories of the night's adventures. 

Our friends had had a fearful night. Bad as 
had been our fortune theirs was incomparably worse. 
Soon after we left them, the protecting floes to the 
north shifted their position ; and from that time until 
the storm subsided, they were frightfully exposed. 
The waves rolled in upon them, frequently breaking 
over the floe on which they were, while the spray 
flew over them continually. They wrapped the 
bread-bags in a piece of India-rubber cloth, and thus 
kept them tolerably dry ; but everything else became 
thoroughly soaked, — clothes, buffaloes, and blank- 
ets, especially. They pitched their tent and tried to 
get some rest, but the water very soon drowned them 
out. They tried to cook some coffee, but the spray 
extinguished their lamp. They were thirty hours 
without water to drink, and during all that time they 
tasted nothing warm, their sole provision being cold 
pork and bread. Their suffering was great, and our 
tale sounded tamely enough after theirs. 

I questioned John why he had so recklessly ex- 
posed his life ; he " wanted to see what had be- 
come of them." He did not see them when he 
started ; had no certain knowledge as to where they 
were ; he only wanted to " look them up." 

7 



CHAPTER VII. 

ROUNDING CAPE ALEXANDER. 

It was now the 6th of September. Eleven days 
had been occupied in making about seventy-five 
miles. We were out of the strait, and seemed to be 
free of the ice. Before us opened Baffin Bay, dis- 
closing no ice except here and there a straggling 
berg. 

In these arctic waters, channels like Smith Strait 
are the first to become locked upon the closing in of 
the winter, and the last to break up in the summer ; 
while the larger bodies, as Baffin Bay, remain mainly 
open until late in the fall, and indeed may be said 
never to close completely. The centre of the up- 
per limit of Baffin Bay, the " North- Water " of the 
whalers, continues open throughout the winter. 
About Upernavik the sea is chiefly free from ice un- 
til late in October ; while the Melville Bay pack, to 
the northward of Upernavik, is in motion throughout 
the year. These facts were well known to us ; and, 
although the winter was rapidly setting in, we con- 
fidently hoped for at least a month of navigable 
season. This hope was greatly heightened as we 
looked out upon the iceless sea, which stretched 
away to the south as far as the eye could reach. 



THE NORTH WATER. 75 

We congratulated ourselves that the hardest part of 
the journey was over, and we seemed to have some 
ground for anticipating that henceforth all would 
be plain sailing. How far these anticipations were 
realized will be seen by what follows. 

With more spirit than had been shown on any 
previous occasion, our people prepared for what 
seemed a final embarkation. We were thus occu- 
pied until six o'clock in the afternoon. The Hope 
needed repairs ; the repeated straining to which she 
had been subjected, by hauling her out of the water, 
and by dragging her over the ice, had opened her 
seams, and she leaked badly. For the life-boat we 
had no mast; and it was necessary to transfer to her 
the mainmast of the Hope. John made for her a 
snug little jib. Petersen, whose trade had been that of 
a cooper, and who was an excellent mechanic, acted 
as carpenter. The step of the foremast of the Hope 
was shifted two feet further aft, her seams were re- 
caulked, and the holes in her sides were repatched. 
Those who could not assist the carpenter and sail- 
maker in these operations, were at first engaged 
in spreading out to dry our water-soaked clothing ; 
which being done, they threw themselves upon the 
rocks to rest and to sleep. We were all worn out 
with the last thirty hours' constant labor and ex- 
posure ; but since there was a light breeze blowing 
outside, we could not afford to lose time by camp- 
ing. 

Everything being ready, the boats were launched 
and stowed. The crews were distributed evenly be- 
tween them. Petersen took the whale-boat, with 
IVIr. Sonntag, George Stephenson, and George Whip- 



76 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

pie ; and I the life-boat, with Mr. Bonsall, John Blake, 
and William Godfrey. It remained only to name 
the vessels. It was, I think, Mr. Bonsall who sug- 
gested " Ironsides" for our craft; and at the instance 
of Mr. Petersen, " Forlorn Hope " was changed to 
« Good Hope." 

We pulled out from under the land, to catch the 
wind which still blew lightly from the northeast ; 
and spreading our canvas we gave three lusty cheers 
for Upernavik, and stood away for Cape Alexander, 
which was fourteen miles distant. A watch was set 
in each boat. Petersen took the steering oar of the 
Hope, John that of the Ironsides, and the rest of the 
crews crawled under their blankets and buffalo robes. 

Soon after our starting, an ominous cloud was ob- 
served creeping up the northern sky. As it spread 
itself overhead, the wind freshened, and after flut- 
tering through a squall, settled into a heavy blow. 
The white-caps multiplied behind us, and every- 
thing looked suspicious ; but whatever might be our 
misgivings as to the fortune in store for us, out at 
sea in a storm, with our frail heavily laden boats, 
we could do nothing but hold our course, and take 
the risks. To run back under the land which we 
had just left, did not at all accord with our tastes, 
nor with the nature of our undertaking. Off the 
larboard bow lay a long line of iron-bound coast, 
which offered no sign .of a harbor. Come what 
might, we must keep on, and sink or swim off Cape 
Alexander. 

To be at sea in a snug ship with a deck under 
your feet, the wind roaring and the waves breaking 
about you, is a pleasure, and as the vessel bounds for- 



THE BOATS OFF THE CAPE. 77 

ward one scarcely feels that he is not in the most 
secure place in the world ; but it is quite a different 
affair in an open boat twenty feet long. 

As we ran out from the land, we obtained a fine 
view of Hartstene Bay. The coast which bounds it 
to the north is high and precipitous, trending a little 
to the north of east, and terminating in a large glacier, 
about twelve miles east of Cape Ohlsen. The face 
of this glacier, dimly traceable in the distance, ap- 
peared to be about three miles in extent, sloping 
backward into an extensive mer de glace. To the 
south of the glacier the laud trends nearly parallel 
with the north shore for three or four miles, when it 
falls off to the south, terminating in another glacier 
larger than the first, which, like it, sweeps back around 
the base of the mountains into the same glassy sea. 
From the southern extremity of this glacier the coast 
runs southwest, presenting an almost straight line 
of high, vertical, jagged rocks, which end in the no- 
ble headland for which we were steering. 

Although closely watching the sheet, while John 
steered and Bonsall and Godfrey slept, I was yet at 
leisure to enjoy the magnificent scene which spread 
itself before me as we approached the cape. A par- 
helion stood in the sky on my right hand, presenting 
a perfect image of the sun above, and a faint point 
of light on either side. On my left lay the before- 
mentioned line of coast, its dark front contrasting 
'grandly with the white sheet of ice a few miles 
further back, which seemed to be in the act of pour- 
ing down into the sea from some great inland reser- 
voir. The sandstone rocks, at the base of the cliffs, 
were worn and wasted by the frost and breakers, 

7* 



78 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

and looked like the ruins of some ancient castle or 
dismantled fortress. The waves which tossed the 
boat about seemed to be at play; and, after licking 
their frothy tongues across her poop, they chased 
each other swiftly to the shore, where, breaking 
through the breaches in the wall, they threw their 
snow-white caps about as if in triumph over the 
ruins that their revelries had made, and then came 
roaring down again into the sea. 

The wind continued to increase, and the waves to 
roll higher, yet we reached within a half mile of the 
northern extremity of the cape without accident, and 
shipping little water. Here the current, setting rap- 
idly around the point, had produced an irregular and 
chopping sea. It became necessary to shorten sail ; 
we could not hold on at our present speed through 
such uncertain swells. Mr. Petersen took a reef 
without difficulty, and the Hope, admirably con- 
structed for a heavy sea-way, doubled the cape in 
gallant style. The Ironsides was shorter, and much 
less manageable. Although laden with the heaviest 
articles of our cargo, she rode, in consequence of 
her large air-chambers, high out of the water; and 
the stern-chamber ennbarrassed the steersman. The 
watch was called up to lend a hand. The halyards 
were lowered away ; but the sprit was found to be a 
foot too long, and in the effort to shorten it by hitching 
it up, the point dropped from its thimble, the stick 
fell across the boat, and the sail flapped loosely in 
the wind. Bonsall attempted to gather up the flying 
canvas, Godfrey grasped after the sprit, and John, 
instead of attending to his own business, watched 
them both. His oar flew out of the water, and the 



THE LIFE-BOAT. 79 

boat, no longer under its control, broached to. The 
next wave broke amidships and filled us. The air- 
chambers, which had hitherto made the boat so 
crank, now^ saved us from sinking. The steersman 
was knocked down from his seat, and before he 
could regain his oar, and bring the boat into the 
wind, sea after sea had broken over us. 

Finding that they were not absolutely drowned, 
and that nothing worse could happen than a good 
ducking, the men returned to their posts, and in a 
few minutes the sail was reefed and set, and the 
boat righted. The increased load which she now 
carried sank her lower in the water, and in spite of 
all our efforts, there remained an unwelcome cargo ; 
for, as fast as we bailed out one portion, another 
poured in. Discouraged at length by our fruitless 
efforts to get her free, we gave up the attempt ; 
and being now satisfied that the life-boat would not 
go down, we held on to the mast and gunwale to 
prevent the seas from washing us overboard, and in 
this manner drifted around the cape. ' Here we were 
met by our consort. Her crew, fearful that we had 
swamped, were g9,llantly beating up in smoother 
water to our assistance. 

It was dead calm under the cape. After bailing 
out some of the water, we took in the sails, unship- 
ped the mast, and pulled over to Sutherland Island 
in search of a harbor. This little rock lies about 
three miles to the southeast of Cape Alexander. It 
was found to be precipitous on its northern and 
eastern sides, and unprotected to the south and west 
from the winds and waves which eddied around the 
cape. Finding no safe anchorage, we were com- 



^80 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

pelled to pull back. By this time our people had 
become almost disheartened. We had been exposed 
to cutting blasts during the two hours which were 
occupied in circumnavigating the island ; the sun 
had sunk beneath the horizon, and it had grown 
quite dark. To make the annoyance worse, a cold 
sleety rain began to fall. The thermometer stood at 
21°. Our clothing was stiffening on us like paste- 
board. Our cramped limbs were almost rigid ; and 
the long continued exertion, under circumstances so 
depressing, had nearly exhausted our strength. It 
was as much as we could do to stem the wind and 
waves, as we rounded the north side of the island 
and struck out for the main land. The gale, broken 
by the cape, fell upon us in fitful gusts, which often 
drove us to leeward. Then came a lull ; the men 
"gave way'* with all the .force which their paralyzed 
muscles could command ; and we recovered our lost 
ground, and gained a few boat-lengths before the 
next squall struck us. 

Thus we continued to oscillate, gaining a little 
with every lull, until at last we were once more in 
smooth water; and soon after, we Jay under the high 
wall of the protecting headland. Then we crawled 
slowly down the coast, more for the purpose of keep- 
ing ourselves from freezing, than with the hope of 
finding a landing ; for the shore appeared to be 
everywhere precipitous. Better fortune, however, 
awaited us than we anticipated. We had not gone 
more than two miles when we came suddenly upon 
a low point of granite rock, behind which lay the 
snuggest of little harbors. A faint cheer broke in- 
voluntarily from the boat's crew when I announced 



A HARBOR! 81 

to them the discovery. — " Here we are, Petersen ; a 
harbor ! A harbor, boys ; a harbor ! Give way ! 
give way ! " 

We were soon ashore ; and as we looked out from 
the rocks on the foaming sea, and listened to the 
moaning wind as it fell over the cliffs above us, and 
to the breakers thundering against the coast, we had 
reason to be thankful that we were once again on 
terra firma. The Ironsides was hauled upon the 
beach and capsized, to free her of her load of water. 
Petersen anchored the Hope with a couple of heavy 
stones. Having no dry clothing to put on, we ran 
about until we were a little warmed and dried ; and 
then, pitching the tent, we spread over us our water- 
soaked buffalo, and slept away fatigue and disap- 
pointment. 

Everything in the Ironsides was thoroughly wet. 
Among the articles of food were a two-barrel bag 
of bread and our large bag of coffee. The cargo 
of the Hope was as dry as wh^n put on board at 
Cape. Ohlsen. She had behaved admirably, and 
had weathered the gale quite comfortably. She 
shipped more water through her leaky sides than 
over her gunwale. 

The wind lulled a little in the night, but rose in 
the morning, and increased again to a gale. The 
storm was too heavy to allow us to put to sea. 
The wind had hauled around to the north, and the 
swell came into our harbor. The anchorage of the 
Hope being thus rendered insecure, she also was 
dragged upon the beach. Our wet cargo was spread 
out upon the stones to dry; and we awaited with 
much anxiety the breaking of the gale, which con- 



82 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

tinued with unabated force through the day. The 
clouds had, however, cleared away, the sun shone 
brightly, and the thermometer went up to 30°. We 
seized the opportunity afforded by our detention to 
obtain the rest which we so much needed. A little 
blue fox, doubtless attracted by curiosity, came near 
the month of the tent, and, perching himself upon a 
rock, set up his wild but cheery cry. Petersen, with 
an eye to the pot, fired at him, and sent him, badly 
wounded, up the hill to die under a pile of stones to 
which he escaped. 

Toward evening the wind abated a little, yet the 
waves rolled too high to make it safe for the boats ;' 
and we reluctantly found ourselves compelled to 
spend another night where we lay. The discovery 
of the fox gave us hope that others might be found, 
and the hunters were busy, during the afternoon and 
evening, in clambering over the rocky hills ; but they 
all returned unsuccessful. There were no signs of 
life about us. 

While some of the party were thus occupied, 
others were rambling about, seeking adventure, or 
gratifying their curiosity. The coast here trends 
nearly due east, and, at about two miles from our 
encampment, terminates in a glacier. This stream 
of ice was visited by me in the afternoon, and by 
Bon sail and Sonntag later in the day. It was the 
first glacier protruding into the ocean which I had 
had opportunity to inspect closely ; and although 
small compared with other similar formations, it had 
nevertheless all their principal characteristics. It 
presented to the sea a convex mural face seventy 
feet in height and about two miles in length, its cen- 



A GLACIER. 83 

tre projecting into the water beyond the general line 
of the coast to the east and west of it. Its surface 
rose by an abrupt angle to the height of about two 
hundred feet, and, sloping thence backward at a less 
inclination, seemed to be connected with an exten- 
sive mer de glace above. From where I stood, I 
observed several fissures or crevasses, apparently of 
great depth, running vertically through the body of 
it, and extending far up into its interior ; and others 
more shallow which seemed to have been formed by 
the streams of melted snow which poured in cata- 
racts down into the sea. I was struck with its 
viscous appearance, as I had been before with that 
of the inland glacier visited by me in the autumn 
of 1853, to which allusion has been made in a for- 
mer chapter. 

Parallel with its convex face ran a succession of 
indistinctly marked lines, which gave it the aspect 
of a semifluid mass, moving downward upon an in- 
clined surface; and this idea was more forcibly im- 
pressed upon me by its appearance about the rocks 
on either side. Over these it seemed to have flowed ; 
and, fitting accurately into all their inequalities, it 
gave the effect of a huge moving mass of partially 
solidified matter suddenly congealed. 

Returning from the glacier, I mounted on my way 
through a ravine to the top of the cliff's, where a fine 
view was had to the south and west. Below me 
was the ruddy rock of Sutherland Island, with a 
chimney-like peak at its eastern end, and a heavy 
belt of ice hanging on its northern side. To the 
south-south-east stood, as distinctive landmarks, the 
snow-crowned headlands of Saumarez and Robert- 



84 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

son. The tops of Northumberland and Herbert Isl- 
ands, exhibiting alternate streaks of brown and white, 
lay in dim outline to the south. The sea was cov- 
ered with foaming white-caps. No ice was visible. 
The sun's glaring disk, like a wheel of fire, rolled 
slowly northward, dipping so gently as to create the 
impression that it was revolving on the plane of the 
horizon. Its rays fell upon the hoary heads of the 
mountains behind me, and bathed in purple the long 
streaks of stratus clouds which hung over the dark 
waters. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE FLEET AT SEA. 



It was not until noon of the 8th of September 
that we broke up our encampment, and set out for 
Northumberland Island. The wind blew fresh from 
the northeast, having now held from that quarter 
during four days. The sea was still rough. 

I took the first watch, and was relieved at four 
o'clock. When I came again on duty, four hours 
afterwards. Cape Alexander lay whole leagues be- 
hind us, and the capes and glaciers of the coast to 
our left were blended into one long, straight, streak- 
ed, white-capped wall, abruptly terminating in Cape 
Robertson. The boats were cutting through the 
water in glorious style. The Hope lay right abeam, 
and was climbing over the waves, and knocking the 
spray to right and left, in a manner which it did our 
hearts good t© see. There were no troublesome ice- 
fields in sight ; water — a great wide waste of swell- 
ing water — was all around us. The men were in 
high glee. The boats approached near enough to 
exchange salutations. "Isn't this glorious?" cried 
Whipple — "we have it watch and watch about!" 
— "And so have we!" answered Godfrey. — "We're 
shipping a galley, and mean to have some supper ! " 



8Q AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

said Stephenson. — "And we've got it done. — Look 
there!" said John, flourishing in the air a pot of 
^teaming coffee. Our tars were in their elennent, 
and alive again. 

Our felicity was short-lived. A few bergs soon 
showed their heads above the horizon ; and, as we 
approached nearer, we found among them loose 
streams of ice, which compelled us frequently to 
change our course, but occasioned for a time no 
other embarrassment. At length, these streams 
became more dense, and in places were found ce- 
mented together with young ice. The night closed 
around us whilst we were dodging among these 
fields ; yet we managed to hold on, and, in spite 
of the darkness, to pick a tortuous passage ; and 
we brought up, at six o'clock on the morning of the 
9th, in a little cove on the north side of Hakluyt 
Island, having been eighteen hours on the way. 
After halting upon the rocks, long enough to cook 
and eat our breakfast, we again put to sea. A 
narrow stream, which lay against the western cape 
of the island, arrested our progress for an hour ; 
but it opened as the tide changed. „ 

We then made for the southwestern cape of 
Northumberland Island. Passing the south side of 
Hakluyt, we discovered the narrow ©hannel, which 
separates it from Northumberland, to be closed with 
a heavy pack, which, joining the land, headed us off. 
Changing our course first to south, then to south- 
south-west, then to south-west; as the margin of the 
pack varied its direction, we held on until one o'clock 
in the afternoon, when we found ourselves about 
eight miles from Northumberland. Here the ice be- 



AMONG THE ICE. 87 

came more dense to the westward, but appeared to 
be open to the southeast. Entering a narrow lead 
which ran in that direction, we continued for about 
half a mile. The lead was in places covered with a 
thin crust of ice, the wind had died away to a light 
breeze, and we therefore made slow progress. The 
young ice was cutting the whaleboat badly. 

Reaching the end of this lead, and uncertain which 
way to turn, we hauled the boats alongside of a 
little berg, to the top of which I clambered in com- 
pany with my brother-officers. This gave us an ele- 
vation of about fifty feet. The pack extended 
throughout the entire circuit, though in no place 
was it tightly closed. 

The selection of our course became now an im- 
portant question. Either of two was open to us : 
to stick to the land, running thereby the risk of meet- 
ing the heavy ice, which always hugs the shore ; or 
to try the more immediately hazardous experiment 
of an outside passage. A short description of some 
of the physical features of this sea will better enable 
the reader to appreciate the critical nature of our 
position. 

Baffin Bay, or more properly Baffin Sea, is the 
great estuary through which the Polar ice of the 
American division of the Arctic Ocean is drifted into 
the Atlantic. This ice is poured into it through 
Lancaster, Jones, and Smith Sounds on the west 
and north. It receives, also, accessions from Whale 
and Wolstenholme Sounds on the east, and by berg- 
discharge from the numerous glaciers of both coasts. 
Added to these sources of supply is the immense 
sheet which, during the winter, forms upon the sur- 



88 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

face of the bay itself. Its central portion, lying 
between Capes York and Bathurst on the north, 
and the Island of Disco and Cape Walsingham on 
the south, forms the grand receptacle into. which 
are poured the rafts which float down through the 
different channels. These accumulated masses con- 
stitute the " middle-ice," or " Melville Bay pack ; " 
the whole body of which is undergoing constant 
movement southward, discharging continually from 
its southern margin through Davis Strait into the 
Atlantic, and receiving proportionate accessions 
from the north. The great highway through which 
these accessions come, and into which they are first 
discharged from the above-mentioned channels, is 
styled by the whalers the '' North -Water ; " and in 
consequence of the rapid flow of the current south- 
ward, this, the north part of Baffin Bay, is, through- 
out the greater part of the year, mainly free from 
ice ; and, as stated in a former paragraph, it is 
never closed completely. 

We were now about midway between the usual 
northern margin of the Melville Bay pack and Smith 
Strait, on the Greenland side of the North- Water, 
and directly in the mouth of Whale Sound. The 
pack which lay around us on every side, was doubt- 
less made up of the discharges from this sound, and 
from those of Jones and Smith, which,, owing to 
some cause to me inexplicable, had not yet joined 
the middle-ice. This pack lay separate and distinct 
from that of Melville Bay, leaving, in all probability 
to the south of the Carey Islands, a belt of open water, 
and thus dividing the North- Water into two parts. 

It will be seen that the navigation of this ice-en- 



ICE-NAVIGATION. 89 

cumbered sea is necessarily peculiar ; yet, so long 
and carefully have the movements of the ice been 
studied, that this navigation has been reduced to 
almost as great precision and certainty as the navi- 
gation of the high seas. The whalers, who have for 
almost two centuries frequented these waters, have 
always, at certain seasons of the year, adhered to the 
land, holding on to w^hat is technically known as the 
"fast ice." I allude now chiefly to Melville Bay; in 
which deep indentation there is to be found, always 
early in the summer, and sometimes throughout the 
entire season, an unbroken belt of ice, commencing 
at the Devil's Thumb, widening gradually as it ap- 
proximates the centre of the bay, and narrowing 
again toward Cape York ; presenting an irregular, 
though, in its general trend, an almost straight, line 
from one to the other of these extremes. This belt 
it is, which is properly designated as above men- 
tioned ; and in holding on to this, vessels are secure 
against the risks and embarrassments attendant upon 
the ever-shifting pack which lies to the westward, 
and which is, throughout the year, as already ob- 
served, undergoing a generally southward movement. 
To the north of Melville Bay, this "fast ice" does not 
exist with the same regularity, nor does it possess, at 
any season of the year, the same characteristics as 
the " fast ice " previously described. 

The chief seat of the Bafl^in Bay whale-fishery 
is at Pond Bay, a little to the south of Lancaster 
Sound. To get to this once profitable fishing-ground, 
the whale-ships always take the Greenland side, in 
the manner above described, and after reaching Cape 
York, or Cape Dudley Diggs, run over to the west- 

8* 



90 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

ward; but later in the season the " fast ice " becomes 
broken and insecure, and therefore, following the cur- 
rent southward, they return home down the Ameri- 
can coast in September. Although at this late sea- 
son of the year, the whalers do not hesitate to throw 
themselves into the pack, yet they most scrupulously 
avoid it in the northward passage during the months 
of June and July. 

It was a question of the utmost importance to us 
to decide, whether we would follow the spring or the 
summer plan of the whalers. With a ship under us, 
our course would have been plain enough, but with 
only our boats, the case was different. The winter 
was closing in rapidly. The young ice was forming 
whenever the wind fell to calm, and we were liable 
to be frozen up at almost any moment. The ice 
being in more constant motion in the centre of the 
bay, this danger was there less imminent ; but there 
was no absolute safety anywhere. If we should at- 
tempt to make our way along the coast, and should 
be there caught by the winter, we would have at 
least, a temporary lease of life. If, on the other 
hand, we should haul to the westward, and attempt 
to run down the centre of the strait, outside of the 
Carey Islands, while it was certain that we should 
have open water longer, and run less risk of being 
frozen up, yet, if frozen up, there would be no possi- 
ble escape for us — we must speedily perish. We 
were, however, bound on a desperate adventure, and 
must use desperate means. 

Petersen w^as our ice-man, and the party had con- 
fidence in his caution and judgment. Beside him, 
none of us had, at that time, much knowledge of 



THE BOATS NIPPED. 91 

ice-movements or ice-navigation. Twenty years' con- 
stant experience had certainly given him some claim 
to the dignity of an oracle. He recommended the 
in-shore passage. It was decided that we should 
hold our course to the eastward, and reach, if pos- 
sible, Northumberland Island, trusting to find a lead 
over to Cape Parry, and thence down the coast. 
In the neighborhood of the island the ice appeared 
to be quite open ; but beyond this we could not 
determine anything with certainty. 

By the time that our conclusion was reached, there 
had fallen a dead calm ; the masts were therefore 
unshipped, and we again took to our oars. The 
attempt "was attended with much difficulty. The 
tide ran swiftly, and the ice was in rapid motion. 
The boats were fearfully exposed. We could find 
no regular lead, and had therefore to trust to the 
changes of the fields to give us a passage. The sud- 
denness with which they sometimes closed together, 
subjected us to frequent nippings, to escape which 
we were obliged, repeatedly, to toss our cargo upon 
the ice and drag up the boats. The back of the 
Hope was nearly broken by these operations ; her 
timbers were severely strained, and her seams were 
so much opened that one man was constantly em- 
ployed in bailing. The Ironsides was dented in a 
dozen places, and her bilge was pressed in below the 
thwarts fully four inches, by a nip which she re- 
ceived while attempting to run the gauntlet of .two 
closing fields. 

As we approached the island, the ice was found 
to be even more closely packed than outside, and 
in more rapid motion. There was no lead along the 



92 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

shore : the tide was against us. It was with the 
utmost difficulty that we could hold our place. Our 
efforts to advance were only sufficient to prevent our 
being drifted back. It was clearly of no use to con- 
tinue at this work, wearing ourselves out, endan- 
gering our boats, and, withal, making no headway. 
It was therefore determined to strike more directly 
for the land, reach it if possible, and there camp, 
and reconnoitre from the mountains. Running now 
across the direction of the drift, the boats were in 
greater peril than before. We made our way by 
edging up diagonally against the current, boring 
through when we found an opening. 

We reached the land at seven o'clock in the even- 
ing, but could find no harbor. Discovering a point 
of rock projecting about twenty yards into the water, 
we drew in behind it, and were thus protected against 
the drifting ice while the boats were unloading. This 
done, they were again hauled upon the beach, be- 
yond the tide-line. The tent was pitched upon a 
terrace, about thirty feet above the water, and about 
fifty yards from the beach. This terrace was cov- 
ered with a thick sod of grass ; and the hill-side 
above, which sloped upward at an angle of forty 
degrees, to a red sandstone cliff, whose base stood 
three hundred feet above the level of the sea, was 
equally rich in vegetation. We had lighted upon 
a weary man's paradise. For more than two hun- 
dred yards, on either side, this green sward con- 
tinued ; and we all agreed that nothing like it had 
been seen since we had left South Greenland, four- 
teen months before. A blue fox was shot by one 
of the hunters, immediately after our landing ; and 



THE GREEN HILL-SIDE. 93 

while the cooks were preparing him for supper, the 
rest of the party, forgetting their fatigue, rambled 
over the green hill-side, and, like colts in spring pas- 
ture, rolled themselves in the thick grass. 

If the sight of this green spot gave joy to our 
spirits, it held, too, treasures for our scurvy-riddled 
men. Knowing what was to be expected, in such a 
locality, I took Mr. Bonsall with me ; and we had 
not searched long before we were rewarded by the 
discovery of some patches of cochlearia and sorrel, 
in sufficient quantity to satisfy the wants of a hun- 
dred men. The plants were only slightly wilted by 
the frost; and their juicy stalks, which grew in some 
places three or four inches in length, were plucked 
and eaten by our people with a ravenous zeal that 
told how badly we stood in need of something fresh 
and green. Stephenson and Whipple carried their 
caps full of it to the cook, who boiled it with his fox, 
and made us such a supper as we had not had since 
we left New York. Although disappointed of get- 
ting on in our course, the spirits of our people were 
better, after this hearty feast, than they had been at 
any time since leaving the brig. They declared that 
they felt the cochlearia in their very bones. 

It was midnight when we retired to our tent, hav- 
ing previously set a watch, to be relieved every two 
hours, with directions to keep a close look-out upon 
the ice, and to give the alarm in case it showed any 
signs of opening. The moon shone out brightly, 
the air was calm, and the thermometer stood at 30°. 



94 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 



CHAPTER IX. 



NORTHUMBERLAND ISLAND. 



When we awoke, the sun was shining brightly 
upon us ; the air was warm. So long had we been 
accustomed to this arctic climate, that we had almost 
forgotten that there was such a thing as summer. 
This noonday heat brought it to our recollection, 
and it felt quite sultry, with the thermometer in the 
shade standing at 36°, and in the sun at 73°. 

The ice remained nearly the same as on the pre- 
vious evening. There being clearly no chance, for 
the present, of getting on, we embraced the oppor- 
tunity to dry our wet cargo. The boat-sails were 
spread upon the grass, and on them were poured the 
contents of our water-soaked bread and coffee bags. 
The buffalo skins, and blankets, and clothing, were 
treated in a similar manner. We also overhauled 
the boats. The Hope was much damaged, and it 
was found necessary to recaulk her. Her tin sheath- 
ing had been, in places, loosened, or torn off, and re- 
quired to be tacked on again. The metallic boat 
was not materially injured : her sides needed only to 
be beaten out straight. Those to whom was as- 
signed the duty of superintending the drying of our 
cargo, having finished their work, returned to the 
hill to feast again on the cochlearia. 



A WALK TO THE CLIFFS. 95 

111 the afternoon Mr. Bonsall and myself set out 
to climb the mountain for a view. Bonsall carried 
his gun with the hope of getting a shot at one of the 
foxes, which were heard barking in the cliffs above 
us. 

We. started up the shore, and, the tide being at 
its ebb, we walked along the beach, sometimes pick- 
ing a passage among the cakes of ice which lay 
stranded by the retiring waters, sometimes clamber- 
ing over the rough knobs of porphyritic rock, which 
here and there cropped out, or edging along the face 
of a low slate-stone cliff, which, deeply worn and 
wasted, bore evidence of the destructive powers of 
the frost and sea. A heavy ground-swell was rolling 
up at our feet, tossing the ice about in tumultuous 
confusion. 

We had gone nearly a mile before we found a 
break in the cliffs ; then, climbing up the stony 
slope, we emerged at length upon a broad plateau, 
five hundred feet above the level of the ocean. To 
the left lay a glacier which ran down into the sea ; 
to the right stretched the long line of cliffs, under 
which we had travelled ; and before us rose a low, 
round-topped mountain. We walked parallel with 
the cliffs until we came back opposite to our encamp- 
ment. Advancing then to the edge of the precipice, 
a charming sight broke upon our gaze. Far beneath 
our feet lay the green hill-side, appearing, as we 
looked down upon it, almost like a level plain, the 
slope increasing the perspective distance and in effect 
doubling the dimensions of the field. The tent lay 
at its farther edge ; strewn around were our travel- 
ling accoutrements. One of our companions was 



96 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

manoeuvring along the base of the cliffs to get 
a shot at a ger-falcon, which constantly eluded his 
stealthy vigilance. Flitting from rock to rock, scream- 
ing wildly all the while, the noble bird of prey man- 
aged to hold a middle course between two fires — 
from above and from beneath — without abandoning 
his favorite haunt. Others of the party were bask- 
ing in the sun, asleep upon the lawn ; while one in- 
dividual was stretched out at full length, feasting in 
the " garden," as we called the patch of cochlearia. 
It was a gypsy-like camp, and, viewed separately 
from its surroundings, was altogether a most un- 
arctic scene. 

We were as much disheartened by what lay be- 
yond as delighted by what lay beneath. Before us, 
to our right, and to our left was ice, ice, ice. We 
could see full forty miles ; and, although not able to 
determine positively the condition of the water for 
more than twenty, yet what we saw assured us that 
a probably impenetrable pack lay in our way. To 
the southwest, toward the Carey Islands, whose tops 
were dimly visible, the sky indicated open water, 
which seemed to run in toward Saunders Island, 
whose long, fiat, white roof, supported by a dark 
vertical wall, appeared above the horizon to the 
south. Under Cape Parry was a large open area, 
from which diverged several narrow leads, like the 
fingers of an outspread hand, toward Northumber- 
land. One of these leads came up within four or 
five miles of our camp ; but inside of it all was 
tightly closed. Below Cape Parry several small 
leads appeared, and much open water seemed to 
lie along the land. 



THE PACK. 97 

Although this pack was in fact the same that had 
baffled Dr. Kane in July and August, yet its exist- 
ence here surprised me as it had him. It had never 
been noted before. Our track had been traversed by 
Baffin and By lot in August, 1616 ; by Sir John 
Ross, between August 7th and 30th, 1818 ; by Capt. 
Inglefield, August 28th, 1852 ; and by Dr. Kane, in 
the Advance, August 7th, 1853 ; and by none of 
them had any considerable quantity of ice been seen 
north of Melville Bay. I was not prepared for such 
a rebuff at this part of our voyage. 

Could we pass it ? would it open ? was there any 
hope for us ? I confess that, as these questions came 
in succession to my mind, I could only meet them 
by gloomy doubting. The ice was more firm and 
secure than we had anticipated finding, even in Mel- 
ville Bay. All of our bright dreams of succor and 
safety seemed to be ending. 

I was still not wholly without hope. There were 
yet twenty days of September ; and, although signs 
of winter had been about us ever since we left the 
brig, yet it was now much warmer here than at 
Rensselaer Harbor a month earlier. Altogether, Sep- 
tember promised more of summer than of winter. 

It was with mingled feelings of hope and dis- 
couragement that I started to return. These feel- 
ings were shared by my companion, who, like myself, 
could not, without a shudder, think of the prospect 
of undertaking to bore the pack at this late season ; 
and yet to put back for the brig was a thought 
equally unwelcome. Apart from any feeling of 
pride, it was evident that to turn back not only 
would involve the certain loss of that relief which 



98 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

we sought, but, by nearly doubling the vessel's crew, 
would induce that very condition of ill health to 
prevent which was one of the reasons for our leav- 
ing the vessel. However, we had yet some days 
before us to watch and wait ; and if, in the end, we 
were forced to retreat, we should then have at least 
the satisfaction of knowing that we had done our 
duty. We had had nineteen days of as constant 
hard striving against the elements as could be rea- 
sonably asked of us. 

If there was not at least some chance (and at 
present none appeared) of getting through the pack, 
it would be madness to enter it farther. We de- 
termined, therefore, to have the matter discussed in 
a formal council, of the men as well as the officers ; 
and, after Petersen should have demonstrated what 
he knew of the laws of ice-movements, and the na- 
ture of the seas to the south of us, then to call for 
a vote, and let the party thus decide the choice of 
risks: namely, to wait and take the consequences, 
or to put back while it remained possible so to 
do. All had a right to be consulted on such an 
occasion, however the impulses of a few might 
prompt to a continuance of oiir journey. 

To undertake to winter where we were, or any- 
where upon the coast, which we must do in case we 
should not be successful and our retreat should be 
cut off, seemed like folly. We had barely food to 
last us eighteen days, and fuel for less than half that 
time. That the Esquimaux lived somewhere, and 
somehow, we knew ; but where, or how, we did not 
know, nor could we imagine. Thus far our guns had 
brought us nothing of consequence. We had seen 



A FOX-CHASE. 0$ 

several seals, and had got within thirty yards of one 
of them, but the rifle missed its aim. We had passed 
a school of walrus but we had no harpoon, and our 
bullets would not pierce their hide. The birds, which 
swarm upon the shores and waters during the sum- 
mer, had brought forth their young, and had flown 
away. We had seen only a few foxes, and not a 
single bear. Petersen, whose experience as a Green- 
land hunter entitled him to judge of the resources 
which would probably be opened, desponded at the 
thought of wintering, when I talked with him about 
the contingencies against which we must provide, 
as far as we were able. 

We sought along the clifl" a place where we 
might descend, and came at length upon a gorge 
which sloped down between two precipitous walls to 
the lawn, a little to the east of our encampment. As 
we were commencing the descent, a fox was seen 
scampering away over the plain. Bonsall gave chase, 
but could not get within shooting distance. Another 
was heard barking overhead at us when we reached 
about half-way down. I took the gun, and, climb- 
ing back over the huge boulders which filled the 
bottom of the gorge, tried, by crawling behind a rock, 
to approach him; but he seemed to be aware of 
my intentions, and scampering away, led me a wild 
chase across the plain over which Bonsall had before 
run. The cunning animal first made ofl*, so that I 
could not corner him upon the cliff; and, when out 
of danger, perched himself upon a stone and barked 
at me until I came within long range, when, as I 
was about to bring my gun to my shoulder, he drop- 
ped behind the stone and fled to another, where he 



100 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

set up the same wild chatter, — a shrill "huk! huk ! 
huk ! " — which sounded like a mixture of anger and 
defiance. I tried again to approach him, but with 
no better success : he ran round and round me until 
at length, becoming weary with following him, I 
fired. Some shot must have touched him, for he 
screamed as if half murdered, and flew away as fast 
as his little legs would carry him. 

We reached the camp at six o'clock in the even- 
ing, tired and foot-sore. We found some of our 
companions seated on the grass-plot, near the tent, 
smoking their pipes and playing " forty-fives," as 
unconcernedly as if they were already at home. 
Danger, and the hard prospect before them, seemed 
furthest from their thoughts. Sonntag was busy 
writing a geological description of the island. Peter- 
sen was out hunting. 

They had not, however, been idle at the camp 
during our absence, as was shown by a pile of coch- 
learia, which lay near by. They were only waiting 
for us to bring them in something more substantial 
for supper, to start the fire. They had found along 
the shore, half a mile below, a little glacier, over 
which poured a stream of crystal water, from which 
they had filled the kettles. • This discovery came 
most opportunely ; for we had hitherto, since landing 
on the island, been obliged to melt ice, thus consum- 
ing rapidly our fuel. Petersen carne in soon after, 
like us, empty-handed. He had seen several foxes 
but could not get near them. We were compelled, 
therefore, to fall back again upon our rapidly vanish- 
ing stock of pork and bread, of which, with the ad- 
dition of some cochlearia, John made us an excel- 



THE COUNCIL. — THE RESOLVE. 101 

lent scouse. To this he added our never-failing 
source of comfort — a pot of coffee. 

While the plates were passing around, the subject 
of advancing further was introduced. Petersen's 
observations coincided with BonsalPs and my own. 
The party received the intelligence with a coolness 
quite characteristic ; and, when the possible contin- 
gency of being compelled to turn back was put be- 
fore them, the response was most gratifying. I knew, 
beforehand, that the views of Messrs. Sonntag and 
Petersen accorded with those of Bonsall and myself. 
Whipple made quite a neat little speech, which I 
wish that I could record literally. I give it as nearly 
as I can remember it : " The ice can't remain long, 
— I'll bet it opens to-morrow. The winter is a long 
way off yet. If we have such luck as we have had 
since leaving Cape Alexander, we'll be in Upernavik 
in a couple of weeks. You say it is not more than 
six hundred miles there in a straight line. We have 
food for that time, and fuel for a week. Before 
that's gone we'll shoot a seal." It was a right gal- 
lant and hopeful little speech, and " Long George " 
(as his messmates always called him) looked quite 
the hero. It reflected the spirit of the party ; and it 
is one of the pleasantest recollections of my life that, 
notwithstanding nineteen days of danger and suffer- 
ing, during which they had been wet, cold, and often 
half famished, the men who were my companions 
did not quail at this crisis. 

In order that the nature of our situation might be 
more fully understood, Mr. Sonntag brought out his 
charts ; and after we had carefully discussed together 
the difficulties and dangers on every hand ; the 

9* 



102 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

possible chances of our success, and the probable 
chances of our being caught in the ice ; and having 
all arrived at a full comprehension of the uncertain- 
ties which were before us, and our facilities for avail- 
ing ourselves of the temporary security which was 
behind us, a formal vote was then taken upon the 
question, " Whether we should go back, or wait and 
go on with the slightest opening." 

There was but one voice in the company. — 
" Upernavik or nothing, then it is ! " " That's what 
I mean ! " — " and so do I ! " were the prompt re- 
sponses. — The thing was settled. 



CHAPTER X. 

AT. SEA IN A SNOW STORM. 

I FEAR that I am prolonging this history beyond 
the limit which my readers will consider reasonable, 
even for a merely personal narrative ; but I find the 
temptation to detail almost irresistible, as the recol- 
lections of the past crowd upon my memory. I will 
be more brief with the next few days. 

September 11th. The ice drifts rapidly out of the 
sound, opening wider the leads toward Cape Parry 
and the southwest; but it is closing up more tightly 
against the southeast corner of the island. The floes 
have left the shore opposite our camp, and we could 
put to sea and make some headway toward the 
Carey Islands ; but this is not the course we have de- 
termined upon pursuing. We could not advance 
more than half a mile in the direction of the main 
land. Godfrey has shot a fox, and he reports having 
seen several others among the mountains. Petersen 
brought down a young raven ; it is not good, but 
we must eat it and save our pork. The sky is over- 
cast, and the temperature has gone down to 25°. 
The air remains calm. 

September 12th. The ice remains close to the 
land below us, but is still loose off the camp. It 



104 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

continues to drift out of the channel, and moves 
toward the southwest. The clouds and mist have 
cleared away ; the sun shines out brightly ; and the 
thermometer comes back at noonday to 35° in the 
shade, and to 72° in the sun. 

We were surprised about noon by the appearance 
of an Esquimau. He came up the beach, and was 
as much astonished as ourselves. We recognized 
him as one of those who were at the ship last winter. 
His name was Amalatok. After exchanging salu- 
tations, he seated himself upon a rock with a cool 
dignity quite characteristic of his people, and began 
to talk in a rapid and animated manner. He was 
dressed in a coat made of bird-skins, feathers turned 
inward ; bear-skin pantaloons, hair outward ; tanned 
seal-skin boots, and dog-skin stockings. He told us 
that he lived on the eastern side of the island ; that he 
had a wife, but no children ; that his brother, who 
had a wife and children, lived with him ; and that 
they had been visited by white men (kablunet) not 
long since. They were evidently the same people 
whom Dr. Kane had met on his southern journey in 
August. Judging from our visitor's description, his 
house was distant from our camp about three miles. 
It could be reached, he said, only by climbing over the 
mountain, which was a difficult undertaking ; or by 
walking along the beach at low tide. He carried in 
his hand two little auks, a bladder filled with oil, a coil 
of seal thong, and two or three pieces of half-putrid 
walrus flesh. He was on an excursion round the 
island to set fox-traps ; and the flesh was intended for 
bait. While talking with us, he took up one of his 
auks, twisted ofl* the head, and, inserting the index 



THE ESQUIMAU AMALATOK. 105 

finger of his right hand under the integuments of the 
neck, drew it down the back, — and in an instant the 
bird was skinned. He then ran his long thumb-nail 
along the breastbone, and as quickly produced two 
fine fat lumps of flesh, which he generously offered to 
anybody who would take them. He evidently intend- 
ed a great courtesy ; but the raw meat coming from 
such hands and treated in this manner was not to 
our liking. Petersen explained to him that we had 
just breakfasted, and begged, most politely, that he 
would not rob himself. It did not please him that 
we declined his hospitality ; which was evidently 
kindly meant, and was bestowed in a manner which 
showed plainly that he felt the importance of proprie- 
torship. He did not wait for further invitation, and 
took his lunch with a gusto quite refreshing to see, 
washing it down with a drink of oil which, in turn, 
he offered to us ; but again we were compelled to 
commit the discourtesy of declining the proffered at- 
tention. The remainder of his oil, which furnished 
us fuel for cooking two meals, the other bird, and 
the coil of thong, we purchased of him for three 
needles. He had, he said, no stock for his whip, 
and he begged for a piece of wood. We gave him a 
splinter from a piece of board, which we carried to 
patch the boat in case of accident. Notwithstanding 
his greasy face, matted hair, ragged dress, and dis- 
gusting propensity to drink oil, he was the most 
decent looking native I had yet seen. 

Ceremonies over, Petersen questioned him respect- 
ing the resources of the island, and the condition 
of the ice to the eastward. He told us that to the 
eastward there was much open water; and that his 



106 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUKNEY. 

brother had captured a walrus, and would probably- 
trade some of it for a knife. Petersen, accompa- 
nied by Godfrey, set out immediately in search of 
the settlement ; but the Esquimau, being intent upon 
examining the multitude of curious things of which 
he found us possessed, could not be induced to ac- 
company him. Knowing from experience the light- 
fingered propensities of his race, we watched him 
closely. 

Petersen came back in a couple of hours, accom- 
panied by a woman and a boy. The woman was 
the wife of Amalatok, who still remained with us. 
She appeared to be twice his age, and was ugly be- 
yond description. The boy was quite a good-looking, 
sprightly, thieving rascal, and her nephew. They had 
been met on the way, and upon being told what 
was wanted, the woman replied that her husband's 
brother, with his wife and entire family, was setting 
fox-traps on the north side of the island, and that she 
could not supply him with anything before seeing 
her husband. Petersen coaxed and persuaded, but 
to no purpose ; and he was reluctantly compelled to 
return to the camp. • 

Our newly found friends left us in the evening, in 
time to get home before the tide came in. Petersen 
would have gone with them, but it was not thought 
prudent, as the ice showed signs of loosening. 
The sun went down through a calm, cloudless at- 
mosphere. As it sank below the horizon, the moon 
brightened ; and first one star, and then another, and 
another, twinkled in the gray sky. A heavy, ice- 
incumbered swell rolled up the beach, and its long, 
deep pulsations broke the stillness of the night. 



COCHLEARIA. 107 

September 13th. No change in the ice. This 
state of inactivity greatly affects our spirits. Every 
hour is precious, and it is hard to be kept thus 
closely imprisoned. 

It is v^onderful how the fine weather holds ; noth- 
ing like it was ever experienced at Rensselaer Har- 
bor, even in midsummer. The people amuse them- 
selves in wandering about the green, in plucking and 
eating cochlearia, or in lounging about the camp, 
smoking their pipes ; sometimes relieving the mo- 
notony with a game of whist, or in sewing up the 
rents in their dilapidated clothing ; casting now and 
then wistful glances on the sea, and wondering impa- 
tiently " when the ice will open ? " ' Petersen shot a 
fox and a young burgomaster-gull ; the former was 
secured, but the latter fell into the sea and floated 
away with the tide. Although the men suffer moral- 
ly, they improve physically. The cochlearia has 
driven from their systems every trace of scurvy ; and 
the few good meals of fresh animal food which we 
have eaten have built up all of us and filled out our 
cadaverous cheeks. 

September l^th. This is our fifth day upon the 
island. Everything has been put in complete order. 
Our coffee and bread are thoroughly dried. 

The ice showed some signs of opening in the 
morning, and I went with Mr. Sonntag to the top 
of the cliffs, for a better view. Our hearts bounded 
with delight. To the south and west the pack was 
loose; below and about Cape Parry the coast ap- 
peared to be mainly clear ; very little ice was to be 
seen up the channel ; the floes which had so long 
hugged the island were giving way. We returned 



108 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

hastily to the camp with the joyful intelligence, and 
commenced packing up. Bonsall and Petersen were 
absent, hunting. They came in as we were begin- 
ning to stow the boats, having also seen the sudden 
change. Each of them had captured a fox. At four 
o'clock, p. M. we pushed off from the shore, and 
pulled straight for Cape Parry. 

The fine summer weather, which had blessed us 
during our stay on the island, was now gone. The 
sky was clear, and the air soft and balmy early in 
the day ; but one of the mists peculiar to these cold 
waters settled over us while we were preparing to 
embark ; and as we stepped into the boats it began 
to snow. The cape for which we had steered was, 
in less than half an hour, invisible ; and even the 
loom of the land we had just left was lost. A great 
white curtain shut out from view everything but the 
dark water under us. The temperature was at 24°. 
The snow was making, upon the surface of the sea, 
a thick, heavy sludge, which greatly retarded the 
boats, and made the labor of rowing excessively 
severe. 

Having now no landmarks by which to steer, Mr. 
Sonntag brought out the compass, which hitherto 
we had had no occasion to use ; but, to our keen 
disappointment, it was found to be so sluggish as 
to be utterly unreliable. The needle stood wher- 
ever placed, within a range of eight points. Strik- 
ing a mean between the extremes, we applied the 
necessary connection for variation, and held on. At 
length we struck some ice-fields, and in working 
through them became completely bewildered. The 
compass was condemned by general consent. Peter- 



ADRIFT ON AN ICE-EAFT. 109 

sen declared that it was leading us into " the pack," 
of which no whaler had ever greater horror than him- 
self ; Bonsall thought that we were steering in the 
opposite direction, up the channel ; Stephenson de- 
clared that we were going in a circle ; and nobody 
thought that we were going right. In this state of 
opinion, it was deemed most prudent to halt and 
wait for better weather. Discovering a piece of old 
ice, whose surface floated about two feet above the 
water, we pulled alongside, and moored the boats. 
The tent was pitched upon one corner ; and, after 
shaking the snow from their backs, all, except God- 
frey and myself who remained without, crawled in- 
side. Our floating ice island was about twelve 
feet square. 

By this time it had grown quite dark. A more 
gloomy prospect for a night's adventure can scarcely 
be imagined, drifting as we were on a crystal raft, 
we knew not whither. We were cold, wet to the 
skin, covered with ice, and cruelly disappointed. 
Our boats were literally filled by the snow, which 
continued to fall faster and faster. We could not 
unwrap our bedding without getting it wet ; and we 
were, therefore, compelled to huddle together in the 
tent, and to keep one another warm as best we could. 
We collected some of the newly fallen snow ; and, 
although everything was so damp that we could 
scarcely ignite the lamp and keep it burning, yet the 
cook managed, in about one hour, to melt a kettle 
of water, and in another to produce a pot of coffee. 
This warmed us, and dispelled the melancholy which 
had settled over the party. 

The night wore slowly away. Of course we could 

10 



110 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

not sleep. The watch tramped up and down the 
few feet of space which lay between the tent and the 
water, and was relieved every hour. The tent was 
tightly closed, and the smoke of the pipes brought 
up the temperature a few degrees. At one time it 
reached 30°. 

That we should feel despondent under the circum- 
stances was, perhaps, quite natural ; but now, as on 
other occasions, there was exhibited in the party a 
courage which triumphed over the distressing for- 
tunes of the day. Stories, such as sailors alone can 
tell, followed the coffee, and interrupted the monoto- 
nous chattering of teeth ; and Godfrey, w^ho had a 
penchant for negro melodies, broke out from time to 
time with scraps from " Uncle Ned," in all its varia- 
tions, " Susannah," and "I'm off to Charlestown, a 
little while to stay." Petersen recited some chapters 
from his boy-life in Copenhagen and Iceland ; John 
gave us some insight into a " runner's " life in San 
Francisco and Macao ; Whipple told some horrors 
of the forecastle of a Liverpool packet ; but Bonsall 
drew the chief applause, by " Who wouldn't sell a 
farm and go to sea ? " 

A strange mixture of men crowded the tent on 
that little frozen raft, in that dark stormy night of 
the Arctic Sea ! There were a German astrono- 
mer, a Baltimore seaman, a Pennsylvania farmer, a 
Greenland cooper, a Hull sailor, an East River 
boatman, an Irish patriot, and a Philadelphia stu- 
dent of medicine ; and it was a singular jumble 
of human experience and adventure which they 
related. 

We were near being precipitated into the water 



THE ADVENTURES OF A NIGHT. Ill 

during the night. An angle of the raft on which 
rested one of the tent poles, split off; two of the 
men who lay in that corner 'vere carried down, and 
their weight was almost'sufficient to drag the others 
overboard. Fortunately the bottom and sides of the 
tent were fast together, or two of us at least would 
have gone into the sea. 

September 15th, The air cleared a little as the 
morning dawned ; and, although it continued to 
snow violently, we were conscious of being near 
some large object, which loomed high through the 
thick atmosphere. "Whether it was land or an ice- 
berg we could not make out. We were soon in the 
boats, and pulling towards it through the thin ice 
and sludge. Before its character became clear, we 
were within a hundred yards of a low sandy beach, 
covered with boulders. Two burgomaster-gulls flew 
overhead while we were breaking through the young 
ice along the shore ; and they were brought down by 
the unerring gun of Petersen. These supplied us 
wilh food, of which we stood greatly in need. 

The boats were drawn up above the tide ; and we 
piled the cargo together on the rocks, and covered it 
with one of the sails. The tent was pitched near by ; 
and with another sail an awning was spread in front, 
to shelter the cook and to protect the lamp. This 
precaution was well timed, for it soon began to blow 
hard from the southwest, the wind being accompa- 
nied with hail. We brought our clothes-bags under 
the awning, and changed our wet garments before 
retiring to the tent. 

We had reason to congratulate ourselves upon 
having borne the sufferings of the previous night 



112 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

rather than expose the buffalo-robes, which were 
now found to be quite dry ; and never did hungry, 
cold, and tired men enjoy anything more than we 
enjoyed the luxury of such means of warmth. We 
were soon fast asleep. 

Meanwhile, John was braving the cold, and the 
eddies of snow which came whirling into his extem- 
pore kitchen. He must have been exposed during 
several hours ; six, according to his own account. 
He certainly suffered enough to make the number 
seem to him twelve. Poor fellow! he was almost 
frozen ; his face and hands were blackened with 
soot, and from his eyes were running great tears, 
which were forced out by the blinding smoke that 
he was compelled to confine within the galley, by 
closing up the sail in order to protect the lamp 
against the wind. Notwithstanding his care, the 
flame was blown out no less than five times ; and 
the reader will appreciate how great was the annoy- 
ance, if he has ever tried to strike a spark in a little 
box of light tinder, which he held between his legs, 
and endeavored to protect with his body, — every 
moment expecting that a drifting snow would pour 
down upon and spoil it, or a whifF of wind come 
and carry it away. Once he was about half an hour 
relighting his lamp, which had been blown out when 
the pot over it was nearly boiling. The tinder was 
damp, and he could not, for a long time, make it 
take fire ; and when he succeeded, and was getting 
ready a brimstone match, the wind scattered the con- 
tents of his box over the ground. He had then to 
hunt to the bottom of his bag for a little roll of 
charred rags, which he was fortunate enough to find 



THE COOK IN TROUBLE. 113 

not wetted. By the time he had succeeded in re- 
lighting the fire, the contents of the kettle were cov- 
ered over with a crust of ice. 

Fortunately John, whatever might be his faults, 
was not easily conquered by difficulties, or we 
should have beeu deprived of our meal; for God- 
frey, who alone of the party equalled the other as 
cook, lacked his dogged perseverance. Everything, 
therefore, depended upon John. At length, at three 
o'clock in the afternoon, he aroused us, and served 
to us a plentiful stew of fox and burgomaster. We 
had not tasted food for more than four and twenty 
hours. While we were engaged with our meal, our 
tent was almost blown over. Sometime elapsed be- 
fore everything could be made safe. An additional 
guy was placed on the windward side, and those at 
the ends were fastened to heavier stones. The awn- 
ing was also tightened ; and everything being thus 
rendered apparently secure, we once more drew our 
heads under cover. We could do nothing for our 
brave cook but give him some dry clothing, the best 
place in the tent, and our thanks. 

It was still snowing hard ; the wind had increased 
to a gale, and as it went moaning above the plain, it 
carried up into the air great white clouds, and pelted 
mercilessly the side of our tent with sleet and hail. 
I put my head out of the door ; I could not see fifty 
yards. The boats were nearly covered by a great 
drift, and our cargo was almost buried out of sight. 
It was not due to ourselves that we were not at sea 
in that fearful storm. We knew not even where we 
were. We came by no will of our own. There 
was a Providence in it. 

10* 



CHAPTER XL 

ACROSS WHALE SOUND. 

The storm broke at about midnight, but the sky 
remained overcast during the following day. We 
turned out early in the morning, and looked around 
us to ascertain our position. Everything was win- 
try. Deep snow-drifts lay along the shore and un- 
der the hill. Our tent was nearly buried. Above 
us rose a dark cliff, on the south of which was a 
steep declivity, from which the snow had all been 
blown into the deep valley on the margin of which 
we were encamped. The ice had been driven in by 
the gale, and was pressed tightly against the shore. 
The coast of the mainland, terminating in Cape 
Parry, lay on the left, and Northumberland Island 
on the right. We had drifted far up Whale Sound, 
and now occupied Herbert Island, — at least such 
was our conjecture. 

There appearing no prospect of our being able 
to put to sea, I took a gun and, accompanied by 
Godfrey, set off up the valley in search of game. 
After a toilsome journey through the deep snow, 
we reached the table-land which forms the culminat- 
ing ridge of the island. There our views respecting 
our position were confirmed. The ice-pack filled up 
the channel and extended far to the southwest. 



BURGOMASTER-GULLS. 115 

We reached the camp late in the afternoon ; hav- 
ing seen, but not captured, a fox, and having dis- 
covered the footmarks of a hare. Petersen had had 
better fortune. He was sleeping soundly in the tent, 
after dinner, when he was aroused by one of the 
men calling to him that a flock of "burgomasters" 
were floating in a pool a little way up the beach. 
Running hastily out, without stopping to dress, he 
killed and secured nine out of eleven. The mate- 
rials for two good meals were thus added to our 
commissariat. What we most needed, was fuel. 
There remained only a few pounds of the fat which 
had been brought from the ship for such use. This 
we were saving for an emergency ; and during the 
last few days we had been burning pork, confidently 
expecting to capture a seal or a walrus, and thus to 
secure a good stock of blubber ; but hitherto we had 
been uniformly disappointed. Several of these an- 
imals had been observed, but they were so shy that 
we could not approach them. The foxes had exhib- 
ited the same timidity. Many of these, as already 
stated, had been discovered on Northumberland 
Island, and I was puzzled to explain the cause of 
their shyness. Petersen declared that a little fellow 
whom he wounded soon after landing, had told his 
comrades of the murderous character of our guns, and 
that thus forewarned, they kept clear of us I At all 
events, be the cause what it might, they sustained the 
reputation of their race for cunning. The readiness 
of the seals to take alarm I could more easily under- 
stand, for a relentless war is waged against them by 
the natives. They ai-e often wounded, and escape 
from their pursuers ; while the foxes, taken only in 



116 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

traps, never live to tell tales. The product of our 
guns, thus far, had been eighteen burgomaster-gulls, 
twelve eider ducks, seven foxes, and one raven, — 
in all, about forty-eight pounds. We had obtained, 
besides, from the hut at Anoatok, eight pounds of 
walrus meat, half of which remained to us ; but the 
great question now was, how should we procure ma- 
terial for fire ? If necessary, we could eat, uncooked, 
such food as we might have; but how, without fire, 
should we obtain water? for, henceforth, we must 
mainly depend upon melting the snow or ice. In 
the afternoon Mr. Sonntag was fortunate enough to 
find a little rivulet, from which the kettle was filled. 
This enabled us in the evening to obtain a cup of 
coffee, which luxury the scarcity of our fuel would 
otherwise have compelled us to deny ourselves. The 
day was calm, for the most part ; but as the sun 
went down, the wind blew again from the south- 
west. Temperature, 26|°. 

I was too much fatigued to make the circuit of 
the island ; and I am, therefore, not able to add any- 
thing to the chart of Captain Inglefield, who, in the 
little steamer Isabella, ran up the channel in Au- 
gust 1852. The cliffs above us were composed of 
sandstone and slate, resting on primitive rock, which 
was visible near our camp. About a quarter of a 
mile above us were discovered two well built Es- 
quimau huts, which appeared to have been recently 
occupied. 

Hoping that fortune would continue to favor our 
effort, we retired again to our tent, and awoke on 
the following morning to find that the wind had 
hauled around to the northeast, and that the clouds 



"HUK! HUK! HUK!" 117 

were breaking away. By one o'clock, p. m., it was 
quite clear. The thernaometer went up to two de- 
grees above the freezing point; the ice was giving 
way, and long leads were opening through it, in 
every direction. A narrow belt of heavy floes joined 
together by young ice, unfortunately lay close along 
the shore ; otherwise we could have launched our 
boats at two o'clock. To break through this belt 
would have occupied us until night ; and deeming it 
imprudent again to trust ourselves in the darkness 
to an uncertain channel we concluded to remain 
where we were, and to start fresh with the early 
morn. 

The morn broke upon us bright, clear, calm, and 
summer-like. The young ice, neither strong enough 
to bear nor frail enough to yield easily, seemed for a 
time likely to baffle us ; but by breaking it up with 
our boat-hooks and poles, we finally succeeded in 
effecting our escape ; not, however, until an hour 
after the sun had passed the meridian. The way 
appeared to be free toward the mainland, for which 
we pulled. After we had been under oars a couple 
of hours, a light breeze sprang up from east-north- 
east ; once more our canvas was spread, and our 
ears were again gladdened by the music of gurg- 
ling waters as the boats rushed onward through the 
rippled sea. 

We struck the coast at about twenty miles above 
Cape Parry. Passing under the north cape of Bur- 
den Bay, we were surprised to hear human voices on 
the shore. That they were Esquimaux we knew 
from the peculiar " Huk ! Huk I Huk ! " — their hail- 
ing cry. Upon approaching the land, a rnan and a 



118 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

boy were discovered running down the hill toward 
the beach; and when we came near they were stand- 
ing close to the water's edge. Petersen held a con- 
versation with the man, while the boy ran oft' over 
the rocks and was soon out of sight. 

The man was " Kalutunah," the Angekok* of his 
tribe, and one of our friends of last winter. He in- 
formed us that he lived at a short distance up the 
bay, where there was a colony of his people, to which 
he invited us to accompany him ; promising that we 
should have some blubber and meat, and that he 
would pilot us into the harbor if we would take him 
into our " Oomeak." The boy had gone to spread 
the alarm ; and, while we were parleying with Kalu- 
tunah, a crowd of men, women, and children, with a 
great number of howling dogs, were seen streaming 
toward us along the shore, all running at full speed, 
flinging their arms about, and mingling their voices 
together in unintelligible gleefulness. The chief 
burden of their exclamations seemed to be " Kabnl- 
ehet ! Kabulenet ! Oomeak I Oomeak ! " — " "White 
men and ships ! white men and ships ! " To avoid 
the impetuous avalanche, we drew hastily alongside 
of a rock, and, taking the Angekok on board, pushed 
off" and pulled toward the settlement, the crowd fol- 
lowing us along the beach. The prospect of getting 
some blubber justified us in losing a little time. 

Our pilot had never been in a boat before ; and 
he seemed to experience all the enjoyment of a 
child at the possession of a new toy. " Tek-kona! 
tek-kona I " — " Look at me ! look at me ! " was his 

* The Angekok of the Esquimaux corresponds, very nearly, to the 
Medicine-Man of the North American Indians. 



A MERRY LANDING. 119 

oft-repeated salutation to his envious, yet admiring 
friends, who were unceasing in their importunities 
to be treated in like manner. The Oomeak and 
the pale faces were probably the greatest wonders 
they had ever seen. 

The bay was covered with pancake-ice,* which 
greatly retarded our progress ; and it was nightfall 
when we reached the settlement, a mile and a half 
up the bay. The whole colony eagerly assisted us 
in landing the boats and in carrying up the cargo. 
About twenty of them, as if it were fine sport, 
seized the painter and the gunwale, and endeavored 
to imitate us in every motion ; breaking out into 
loud peals of laughter whenever they made a mis- 
take. The subject which caused them most merri- 
ment was the " Heave-oh ! " of the sailors. This 
they attempted to imitate ; and it w^as very amusing 
to observe their efforts to chime in and keep time. 
They could not approach nearer than " I-e-u ! " 
They afterward i-e-u-d everything, and " I-e-u ! 
i-e-u ! " rang through the settlement the livelong 
night. 

We were landed in a little cove. To the right 
and left, about thirty yards apart, stood two masses 
of rock twenty feet high, which nicely protected our 
harbor. The summits of these little capes were level ; 
and on the table to the right we pitched our camp 
and stowed our cargo. From the head of the cove 
the land rose by a gentle slope, which, at the dis- 
tance of a hundred and thirty yards, terminated 

* This term is applied to young ice mixed with snow, which has been 
broken up by the waves, and whfch, being tough, has been rounded into 
little cakes by the water agitated by the wind. 



120 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

abruptly against a long line of cliffs similar in ap- 
pearance and formation to those of Northumberland 
Island, already described. Directly in front, on the 
slope, and at fifty yards from the beach, in the midst 
of rocks and boulders, stood the settlement, — two 
stone huts, twenty yards apart! It seemed more 
fitted for the dweUing-place of wild animals than 
for the home of human beings. Around it was a 
wilderness of rocks and snow and ice. 



CHAPTER XII. 

AMONG THE ESQUIMAUX. 

Our savage friends were kind and generous. 
They anticipated our every wish. One of the 
young women, true to the instincts of her sex, ran 
off to the valley, with a dozen boys and girls at her 
h6els, and filled our kettles with water. Kalutu- 
nah's koona (wife) brought us a steak of seal, and a 
dainty piece of liver. All smiled at the slowly-burn- 
ing canvas wick of our lamp, and at the sputtering 
salt fat; and the chief sent his daughter for some 
dried moss and blubber. We gave them a share of 
our meal, offered them a taste of coffee, and passed 
around some pieces of ship-biscuit. The biscuit 
proved too hard for their teeth, and, until they saw 
us eat, they could not divine its use. They laughed 
and nibbled at it alternately, and then stuck it into 
their boots, — their general temporary receptacle for 
all curiosities. They made wry faces over the coffee, 
and a general laugh arose against the Angekok, who 
persisted in taking a drink of the hot liquid. We 
had, altogether, an amusing time with them. The 
evening being warm, we sat upon the rocks for sev- 
eral hours ; and after supper, our men lighted their 
pipes. This capped the climax of our strange cus- 
11 



122 AN AKCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

toms. The Esquimaux seemed amazed, and look- 
ed first at us, then at each other, then at us again. 
They evidently thought it a religious ceremony, see- 
ing how solemn were our faces. At length I could 
not abstain from a smile ; the signal thus given 
was followed by shouting, clapping of hands, and 
general confusion among the troop. They ran 
about, puffing out their cheeks, and imitating, as 
nearly as they could, the motions of the smokers. 
Kalutunah, who was determined to try everything, 
begged to be allowed to smoke a pipe. One being 
handed to him, he was directed to take a long and 
deep inhalation ; this accomplished, he desired no 
more, and his rueful face brought the mirth of the 
party again upon him. 

Having thils established the most kindly rela- 
tions, we presented a needle to each of the women, 
which greatly delighted them ; and having nothing 
else to offer us in return, they started off in a body 
and brought us a few pieces of blubber. This was 
what we most wanted, and they were asked to bar- 
ter more of it for a knife. The question must have 
been misunderstood ; for, an old woman who was 
called Eglavfit, (meaning intestines,) and who seemed 
to be one in authority, told a long story representing 
how poor they were, how unsuccessful they had been 
in the hunt, how they would soon have no fire and 
nothing to eat, and how the winter would soon be 
upon them ; in 'short, if we could believe her, they 
were just on the eve of dying. I had heard such sto- 
ries before, nearer the equator, when substantial fa- 
vors were likely to be required ; and I began to suspect 
that we had commenced at the wrong end with our 



TRADING FOR BLUBBER. 123 

negotiations. Accordingly, I suggested to Petersen 
the propriety of saying that we came for the pur- 
pose of bestowing numerous blessings upon them ; 
that we abounded in knives, needles, wood, and iron, 
and that we expected, in return for our bountiful 
gifts, such of their paltry goods as we might require 
during our journey among their people. Petersen 
acted upon the suggestion, and interpreted my speech 
to them in a very solemn manner. Whether because 
of the speech, the sudden exhibition which followed 
of the coveted knives, or the disposition to do a good 
thing, I cannot say, but certain it is, that the voice 
of the old woman gave place to that of the dark- 
skinned Nalegak (chief) who replied, quite laconically, 
" The white men shall have blubber ! " 

They were in fact badly provided. The hunt had 
latterly been unproductive, and they had not, in the 
whole settlement, food for three days. They were 
to hunt on the morrow, and, if successful, they 
would give us the required supplies, in case we 
would wait. This was all very fine, but. the game 
was still in the sea. 

There was clearly manifested a disposition to fur- 
nish us with what they could command. They all 
went away in a body, and returned in a few minutes, 
each with a piece of fat, — some of the pieces being 
not larger than one's hand. Every one expected, of 
course, his or her reward ; but it was quite impossible 
to pay them in this manner, and we therefore divided 
them into families, giving to each of these something. 
Thus were distributed a few small pieces of wood, a 
dozen needles, and a couple of knives. Altogether, 
the supply of blubber was sufficient to fill our keg. 



124 AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

We obtained, also, a small bagfull of dry moss, 
which served us much better for lamp-wick than 
canvas or rope-yarn, which we had previously used. 
We could not obtain any food ; for the poor crea- 
tures had none either to give or to barter. 

It was nearly midnight before these negotiations 
were completed. Being told that we wished to 
sleep, the Esquimaux left us with numerous friendly 
professions ; and the camp was soon quiet. They 
could not, however, wholly resist the temptation to 
be with us ; and, arming themselves with a little 
piece of blubber or moss, they would steal quietly 
down to the camp, one or more at a time ; and, offer- 
ing their present to the watch, would cautiously open 
the tent door and look in upon the sleepers, and then 
scamper away like children caught in some forbid- 
den act. 

With Stephenson, who was on the first -watch, I 
marched up and down the short plain in front of 
the tent, talking of home and of our future pros- 
pects. It was a glorious night. Twilight hung 
upon the mountains ; the stars twinkled through the 
clear atmosphere ; and there were no sounds to 
break the stillness save the heavy breathing of the 
sleepers, the cawing of a solitary raven, and the 
occasional bursts of merriment which broke from 
the huts upon the hill-side. 

Leaving Stephenson at his guard, I embraced 
the opportunity to pay a visit to these huts. I have 
already indicated their locality ; and I will, as near- 
ly as possible, describe their form and interieur. I 
found them to be in shape much like an old-fash- 
ioned country clay oven, square in front, and sloping 



AN ESQUIMAU HUT. 125 

back into the hill. They were now covered with 
snow, and until after entering one of them, I could 
not discover of what material they were made. To 
get inside I was obliged to crawl on my hands and 
knees through a covered passage about twelve feet 
long. Kalutunah, upon hearing my footsteps, came 
out to welcome me, which he did by patting me on 
the back and grinning in my face. Preceding me 
with a smoking torch, which was a piece of burning 
moss saturated with fat, he advanced through the 
low narrow passage, tramping over several snarling 
dogs and half-grown puppies. After making two or 
three turns, I observed at last a bright light stream- 
ing down through a hole, into which my guide ele- 
vated his body ; and then, moving to one side, he 
made room for his guest. I found myself in a den 
in which I could not stand upright, but which was 
crowded with human beings of both sexes, and of all 
ages and sizes. I was received with a hilarious 
shout which assured me of welcome. Like a flock 
of sheep crowding into a pen, they packed 'them- 
selves in the corners to make room for me on the 
only seat which I could discover. I had come to 
gratify my own curiosity, but theirs was even more 
rapacious than mine, and must be first satisfied. 
Everything I had on and about me underwent the 
closest examination. My long beard greatly excited 
their interest and admiration. Being themselves 
without this hirsute appendage, or at most having 
only a few stiff hairs upon the upper lip and the 
point of the chin, I could readily appreciate their 
curiosity. They touched it and stroked it, patting 
me all the while on the back, and hanging on to 
11* 



126 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

my arms, legs, and shoulders. I was a very Pe- 
ter Parley among a crowd of overgrown children. 
They were greatly puzzled over my woollen clothing, 
and could not comprehend of what kind of skins it 
was made. The nearest that I could approach to a 
description was that it grew on an animal looking 
like an "Ukalek" (hare). That it was not skin T 
could not make them understand. Hans, being once 
importuned at the ship on the same subject, told 
some of them, rather pettishly, that it was " man 
skin;" and this I found seemed to be the general 
impression. My pockets did not escape them ; and 
my pipe, which one of the boys drew out, occasioned 
much amusement, as it passed around from hand to 
hand, and from mouth to mouth. Kalutunah drew 
my knife from its sheath, pressed it to his heart, and 
then with a roguish leer stuck it in his boot. I 
shook my head, and, with a laugh, he returned it to 
its place. It was a prize which he greatly coveted. 
He had not yet heard of the Ten Commandments, 
and he could not resist the desire to possess it. 
He drew it out half a dozen times, exclaiming be- 
seechingly, as he hugged it, " Me ? give me ? " 
There was an air of innocent simplicity about the 
fellow which pleased me ; and I had nearly paid for 
my admiration with my knife. Fortunately, how- 
ever, I did not wholly forget that charity begins at 
home. My pistol they handled with great solem- 
nity; with the marvellous effect of our firearms they 
had already been familiarized ; for, as we entered the 
harbor, Bonsall had, with his gun, dropped a burgo- 
master-gull among them. 

During the incidents just detailed, I found leisure 



THE INTERIOR. 127 

to examine the hut. The whole interior was about 
ten feet in diameter, and five and a half feet high. 
The walls were made of stones, moss, and the bones 
of whale, narwhal, and other animals. They were 
not arched, but drawn in gradually from the foun- 
dation, and capped by long slabs of slate-stone, 
stretching from side to side. The floor was covered 
with thin flat stones. Half of this floor at the back 
part of the hut was elevated a foot. This elevation 
was called " breck ; " and it served both as bed and 
seat, being covered with dry grass, over which were 
spread bear and dog-skins. At the corners in front 
were similar elevations; under one of which lay a 
litter of pups, with their mother, and under the 
other was stowed a joint of meat. The front of 
the hut was square, and through it, above the pas- 
sage-way, opened a window ; a square sheet of 
strips of dried intestine, sewed together, admitted 
the light. The hole of entrance in the floor was 
close to the front wall, and was covered with a piece 
of seal-skin. The walls were lined with seal or fox- 
skins, stretched to dry. In the cracks between the 
stones were thrust whipstocks, and bone pegs on 
which hung coils of harpoon-lines. On one side of 
me, at the edge of the " breck," sat an old woman, 
and on the other side a young one, each busily en- 
gaged in attending to a smoky, greasy lamp. A 
third woman sat in a corner, similarly occupied. 
The lamps were made of soapstone, and in shape 
much resembled a clam-shell, being about eight 
inches in diameter. The cavity was filled with oil, 
and on the straight edge a flame was burning quite 
brilliantly. The wick which supplied fuel to the 



128 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

flame, was of moss. The only business of the 
women seemed to be, to prevent the lamps from 
smoking, and to keep them supplied with blubber, 
large pieces of which were placed in them, the heat 
of the flame trying out the oil. About three inches 
above this flame, hung, suspended from the ceiling, 
an oblong square pot of the same material as the 
lamp, in which something was slowly simmering. 
Over this was suspended a rack, made of bear rib- 
bones lashed together crosswise, on which were 
placed to dry, stockings, mittens, pantaloons, and 
other articles of clothing. The inmates had no 
other fire than was supplied by the lamps, nor did 
they need any. The hut was absolutely hot. So 
many persons crowded into so small a space would, 
of themselves, keep the place warm. I counted 
eighteen, and may, very probably, have missed two 
or three small ones. Centering each around its own 
particular lamp and pot were three families, one 
of which was represented by three generations. 
These three families numbered, in all, thirteen indi- 
viduals ; but beside these there were some visitors 
from the other hut. The air of the place was insuf- 
ferable, except for a short time. The half decom- 
posed scraps of fur, fat, and flesh, which lay on the 
floor and breck, or were heaped in the corners ; the 
poisonous multiplicity of breathing lungs ; the steam 
which rose from the heated bodies of the inmates ; 
and the smoke of the lamps, — altogether created 
an atmosphere which was almost stifling. There 
may have been a vent-hole, but I did not see any. 
I perspired as if in the tropics. Perceiving this, the 
company invited me to imitate them, and instantly 



ESQUIMAU HOSPITALITY. 129 

half a dozen boys and girls seized my coat and 
boots, preparatory to stripping me. But I had 
brought from home certain conventional notions, 
and I declined the intended courtesy, telling them 
that I must go back to my people. First, however, 
I must have something to eat. This was an invita- 
tion which I feared ; and now that it had come. I 
knew that it would be unwise to decline it. The 
expression of thanks (koyenak), was one of the 
few in their language that I knew, and of this I 
made the most. They laughed heartily when I said 
" Koyenak," in reply to their invitation to eat ; and 
immediately a not very beautiful young damsel 
poured some of the contents of one of the before- 
mentioned pots into a skin dish, and after sipping it 
to make sure, as I supposed, that it was not too 
hot, she passed it to me over a group of heads. At 
first, my courage forsook me ; but all eyes were fixed 
upon me, and it would have been highly impolitic 
to shrink. I therefore shut my eyes, held my nose, 
swallowed the dose, and retired. I was afterwards 
told that it was their great delicacy, which had been 
proffered to me, — a soup made by boiling together 
blood, oil, and seal-intestines. It was well that I 
was ignorant of this fact. 

I felt a great relief when again in the cool fresh 
air. The Angekok and his daughter escorted me to 
the tent, each with a torch. Dismissing them at the 
door, I sought my narrow place, among my sleeping 
comrades, and was soon wandering far away from 
the Esquimaux and their filthy huts. 



130 ■ AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



HOPES CHECKED. 



We were stirring with the dawn ; and, aided by 
the people of Netlik, prepared to continue our jour- 
ney. The valuable addition which we had made 
to our cargo, greatly encouraged us. It came most 
opportunely, when we had begun to despair of pro- 
curing anything important with our guns. 

Our short intercourse with these simple people 
seemed to have created a mutual attachment ; and 
very decided manifestations of sadness were exhib- 
ited by our savage helpers as we parted from them. 
We had to regret that it was not in our power to 
leave with them more substantial proofs of our re- 
gard. They were poor beyond description. Nature 
seemed to have supplied them with nothing but life, 
and they appeared to have wrested from the animal 
world everything which they possessed. They were 
clothed wholly in skins ; their weapons of the chase 
were fashioned of bone ; they had neither wood nor 
iron ; and they subsisted exclusively on animal food. 
The few pieces of iron which we had, our knives, or 
even the hoops upon our kegs, would have been a 
mine of riches to them ; and our oars and poles 
would, for many years to come, have placed them 



POVERTY OF THE ESQUIMAUX. 131 

beyond want for harpoons and lances. We gave 
them what we could spare of our slender stores, and 
received, in return, a few presents valuable to us. 
These were, an addition to our stock of blubber, 
and two or three pairs of boots and mittens. 

Not recognizing, " Thou shalt not steal," or any 
equivalent precept, as more than a suggestion of 
public convenience among themselves, it was very 
natural that they should embrace every opportunity 
to rob us. Although a close watch was kept upon 
them, yet, when we had passed our equipment into 
the boats, piece by piece, the hatchet was found to 
be missing. Nobody, of course, had seen it. Peter- 
sen openly charged them with having stolen it. They 
boldly scouted the charge, — the good old gray- 
haired, honest chief declaring, that " his people did 
not steal." One fellow, in particular, was loud in 
protesting against the imputation, and on this ac- 
count he was suspected. He was actually standing 
upon the hatchet, trying to conceal it with his huge 
bear-skin moccasins. • Petersen alone could talk to 
them ; and, therefore, the rest of us kept quiet. I 
soon perceived that his Danish blood was up, and 
the thief was not slow to make the same observa- 
tion. With a laugh he stooped and picked up the 
hatchet, offering, with the other hand, as an olive- 
branch of peace, a pair of mittens. Had it not been 
for the detention, I should have felt more disposed 
to laugh than to be vexed at the incident. The 
Esquimaux followed us along the beach, and as we 
pulled across the bay we could hear their shouts 
long after they were lost to sight. 

The air being quite calm, and the temperature not 



132 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

above the freezing point, the young ice which had 
formed during the night was not broken up ; so that 
our progress was necessarily slow, and our labor 
severe. It was after sunset when we reached Cape 
Parry ; and here, again, was the everlasting pack. 
How far it extended out to sea we could not tell ; 
but it came in close to the land, and being in mo- 
tion, in consequence of a heavy swell from the south- 
west, we thought it unsafe to attempt to penetrate 
it in the darkness ; and accordingly we sought a har- 
bor behind a low point of land, and camped. 

We were not prepared for this rebuff, and we 
felt keenly disappointed. Cape Parry was the point 
at which had centered all our hopes. To reach 
this cape, had been our constant aim for ten long 
days. Failing to reach it, we must fail in our en- 
terprise : reaching it, there was, at least, a fair pros- 
pect of success. From Northumberland Island, as 
has been previously stated, we could see long leads 
running down the mainland ; and as we looked out 
from that island none of us entertained a doubt of 
the general openness of the sea to the south. The 
reader will, I am sure, appreciate our disappoint- 
ment. 

A good view was obtained, in the morning, from 
a neighboring elevation. The sea appeared to be 
everywhere mainly free from ice, except directly 
along the shore, the very place where it had been 
previously most open. The heavy swell which came 
in from the southwest, proved conclusively that 
most of the great pack which lay spread out over the 
North Water when we landed at Northumberland 
Island, had drifted away. The belt which now lay 



THE EVERLASTING PACK. 133 

in our path, had clearly been brought in by the 
recent gale. What should we do ? The way was 
open back to the east side of Northumberland. In 
that direction there was very little ice in sight. We 
could still retreat, if we should so choose. 

Our case was apparently not yet hopeless. It 
was conjectured, th^t if we could succeed in pene- 
trating this narrow belt, the sea would be found free 
beyond; yet, an attempt to bore the pack at this 
late period, with the temperature at 22°, and falling, 
would be an undertaking fraught with serious dan- 
ger. There was but one expression of sentiment in 
the party, and that was, " try ! " and try we did, long 
and laboriously. Time after time were the boats 
thrust into the leads, — into the very jaws of the 
grinding ice, and as often were they forced back. 
Tired and defeated, our boats badly battered, the 
Ironsides deeply • dented along her water-line, the 
Hope nearly crushed, and leaking badly, we could 
only avail ourselves of the change of tide, and work 
slowly down the shore through the lead which it 
opened. Darkness overtook us near Hoppner Point, 
about seven miles below Cape Parry. During the 
day, we saw several small flocks of eider and king- 
ducks flying southward, but they did not come with- 
in shot. Petersen, however, brought down a Kitti- 
wake gull, and Godfrey killed a diver. 

The following morning disclosed to us a broad 
lead starting from the land, about twelve miles 
below us, and stretching southwest toward Saun- 
ders Island. We gave up the idea of boring the 
pack, and made for this water, if we could reach 
which, we anticipated that there would be little diffi- 

12 



134 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

culty in crossing Wolstenholnne Sound. The swell 
kept the bay-ice broken up, — but opposite Black- 
wood Point, a low ledge of rocks checked its force ; 
and the water inside being smooth, was covered with 
a crust too thick to break through, which, at two 
o^clock, obliged us to haul in to the land and await 
a change of tide. 

The tide not having accomplished for us what 
was expected of it, we were compelled to camp at 
ten o'clock, p. m. During the day two seals were 
seen ; one of them, a large male, came up near the 
boat and within close rifle shot. Petersen took a 
long and true aim at him, but the rifle missed fire. 
One of the men shot a king-duck from a flock which 
flew overhead ; and Petersen a ptarmigan, on shore. 
I give the incidents of the next few days in the more 
concise log-book form. 

September 22d. Sky clear. A strong breeze from 
the southwest packs the ice closer, and keeps us pris- 
oners. We avail ourselves of the opportunity to dry 
our bedding, spreading it upon the rocks. We also 
clear the ice out of the boats. 

September 2Sd. The wind died aw^ay during the 
night, but it had brought in more floes, and the calm 
favored the formation of bay-ice. The tide opened 
along the shore a narrow lead, which we entered, 
and advanced in it about a mile. It was there 
found closed, and during the remainder of the day 
we progressed by breaking through the young ice. 
By this operation, everything in the boats became 
covered with spray, which was beaten up by the 
poles, and which soon formed an icy coating. Our 



BESET. 136 

clothing was as stiff as pasteboard. We passed 
the mouth of Booth Sound, and were finally ar- 
rested within about two miles of the open water 
for which we had been steering. This water still 
remained mostly free from either young or old ice. 
At three o'clock in the afternoon, it blew heavily 
from the northward. This looked unpromising ; 
but, having only two miles more of this hard work, 
we kept up our courage. 

September 2^th. The wind continued through the 
night to hold from the northward, and it set the ice 
slowly in motion down the coast. It encroached a 
little on the water below us. In the morning, the 
wind hauled to the westward, and finally, about noon, 
settled in the south-souithwest, and blew a gale. It 
sent in a heavy swell, and again we were close pris- 
oners. Sky overcast. The day was spent in wan- 
dering along the coast in search of game. Five 
ptarmigans were shot by Petersen ; some burgomas- 
ter-gulls flew over the camp, and were fired at by 
Bonsall, but they were out of reach. A school 
of walrus were observed blowing in a little pool, 
near a berg, but they could not be approached. 
Temperature 20°. 

September 26th. It fell calm during the night. 
The ice tightly hugs the shore, and is grinding 
tumultuously with the heavy swell, which abates 
slowly as the day advances. There are no signs 
of a lead opening off our camp, and many floes have 
drifted into the open water below us. Our boats 
could not live among the ice, and we remain ashore. 
The hunters have been out scouring the plain, but 
they saw nothing. 



136 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

September 26th. No change except for the worse. 
The swell has subsided ; the air is calm ; the tem- 
perature sinks rapidly, and it is freezing hard/ A 
great quantity of trash-ice, broken up into small 
fragments by the late swell, hugs the shore. — Every 
attempt to bore through it is fruitless, and the new 
ice will not bear. — We are forced to retire again to 
our camping-ground of yesterday, as the night comes 
on, and trust to a shore-breeze, or a change of tide, 
to loosen the pack. The night is dark. 

September 27th. Worse and worse ! The old 
ice is all cemented together. The open water which 
lay below our camp yesterday, is clogged with drift, 
and is covered with a glassy sheet. The tempera- 
ture is still falling. At eight o'clock, 15°. Calm 
and clear. 

We hauled the boats upon the land, and cleared 
them of ice which had accumulated under the lining. 
At least a barrelfull was dug out of the Hope. 

By this brief record the reader will perceive what 
were the struggles, hopes, and fears of our little party 
during this critical period of the expedition. To 
be thus checked, so near to the spot where a broad 
expanse of water had been seen ; and which, when 
discovered, promised to give us a passage south- 
ward, was felt to be a hard fortune. A strong 
wind from the east might open the ice and release ^ 
us, but otherwise our fate was sealed, — or at least 
so it seemed. To retreat was quite as impossible 
as to advance. We could neither travel over the 
ice nor cut through it. To live long where we 
were, seemed equally impossible. The shore upon 



THE CLIMAX. l37 

which we were cast was more bleak and bai-ren than 
any other that we had seen in this inhospitable re- 
gion. The summer was gone, and the winter was 
pressing close upon its heels. The hills were cov- 
ered with snow ; the valleys were filled with drift ; 
the streams were all dried up ; the sea was shrouded 
in its gloomy mantle. Night — the long arctic 
night — was setting in ; already the sun was be- 
neath the horizon during the greater part of each 
twenty-four hours, and in a short time he would sink 
to rise no more until February. 

To meet this period of winter darkness we were 
literally without any preparation. Our remaining 
provisions were scarcely sufficient for two weeks; 
our fuel was still more scanty; and this fuel was 
merely of a nature to cook our food and melt water, 
but not to give warmth to ourselves. 

We were not, however, morally unprepared for 
such a fortune. It was one to which, when leaving 
Rensselaer Harbor, we well knew ourselves to be 
liable ; and for several days we had made up our 
minds that the chances were at least ten to one in 
favor of such a termination to our undertaking ; yet 
the open water, toward which we had so deter- 
minedly bent our course since the 21st, offered so 
tempting a bait, that we had steadfastly pursued it 
until we fell into this trap. 

Our great sorrow was, that we had failed in our 
purpose. Yet, although the object for which we had 
striven was not attained, we knew that it was not 
through our fault, but our misfortune ; and, since it 
had been our duty to persevere as long as there was 
the least possibility of succeeding, it was now no less 

12* 



138 AN AECTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

our duty than our instinct to endeavor to preserve 
our lives. 

Accordingly, as soon as it became evident that the 
sudden closing in of the winter had hopelessly beset 
us, we began to look about us, and to devise means 
for meeting future emergencies. We must first pre- 
serve what was left of our stores ; secondly, con- 
struct a place to shelter us ; and, thirdly, add to our 
means of subsistence. We could draw no inspira- 
tion from the desolation around us. Our trust was 
in God and our own efforts. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

BUILDING A HUT. 

I AVAIL myself of the opportunity offered by the 
beginning of a new chapter, to describe our locality. 
We were about sixteen miles below Cape Parry, 
nearly midway between this cape and Saunders Isl- 
and, — or, more accurately, midway between Whale 
and Wolstenholme Sounds. The coast trends south- 
east by south. It is low, and of course rocky ; the 
rocks are primitive. The shore is marked by numer- 
ous small indentations, and several low points run 
out into the sea. The largest of these indentations 
is Booth Sound. This sound, or rather the bay 
inside of it, is about four miles in diameter ; and 
appearing at a little distance to be surrounded by 
land, looks much like a lake. The entrance to it 
is very narrow ; its low capes overlap each other, and 
as you look in from seaward, they appear to be con- 
nected. In the centre of this bay stands a very re- 
markable island, called Fitzclarence Rock, which is 
about two hundred and fifty feet high ; a truncated 
cone surmounted by a square-faced cap. At the 
head of the bay rises a vertical cliff from four to five 
hundred feet in height, which stretches northward, 
and is continuous with the abrupt wall of Cape 



140 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Parry. At a little distance from the shore, the low 
land in front, which is a belt varying from one to 
four miles in width, would be overlooked ; and the 
long range of cliffs would seem to be the coast line. 

The cape which bounds Booth Sound on the 
south, is thirteen miles below Cape Parry ; and be- 
yond it to the south are two other capes, at the 
distances respectively of five miles and six miles. 
Between the last two opens another bay or inlet 
running, like Booth Bay, back to the base of the 
cliffs, — or rather, to the foot of their sloping debris. 
Into this bay descends a small glacier ; another glac- 
ier rests in a valley opening into Booth Bay. These 
are about four miles apart, and they seem to join, 
or rather to originate, in the same mer de glace 
above. 

It will thus be seen that between the ocean on 
the one side, and the cliffs on the other; and be- 
tween Booth Bay on the north, and the other bay on 
the south, we have a low rocky plain, four miles 
in diameter, rudely estimated. Its surface is undu- 
lating, its highest point being about thirty feet above 
tide; and it is covered with boulders of large and 
small sizes. We occupied this plain ; and our tent 
was pitched on the flat surface of a rock about thirty 
yards from the sea, and midway between the bays 
which bound the plain on the north and south. A 
more bleak and barren spot I thought could not be 
found in the whole world. Here we were to strug- 
gle for existence. 

It was not until the morning of the 28th of Sep- 
tember, that we fully made up our minds that es- 
cape was hopeless. Without wasting time in use- 



SEARCHING FOR A SITE. 141 

less lamentation, we at once proceeded to secure our 
equipment; which we did by carrying it, piece by 
piece, to a ledge on a rock near at hand, carefully 
keeping tally to see that no small articles were miss- 
ing. Everything being thus made safe, we spread 
over the whole our sails, and fastened them down 
with heavy stones, that the wind might not carry 
them away. The boats were then capsized to pre- 
vent their being filled with snow ; and the oars were 
stowed under them. 

This being done, we began to look about us for a 
place to build a hut; as we could not live in our 
tent. It was first suggested that we should con- 
struct a house after the manner of the Esquimaux ; 
but it was soon concluded that we could not in a 
fortnight collect together a sufficient quantity of 
stones for such purpose, if indeed we could do it at 
all. Accordingly this plan was abandoned as, under 
the circumstances, quite impracticable. While we 
were anxiously considering what we should do, wan- 
dering about without discovering any feasible mode 
of overcoming our difficulty, one of the party acci- 
dentally found a crevice in the rock, not far from 
the camp, — indeed directly opposite to the laTiding, 
and about forty yards from the shore. This crevice 
which ran parallel with the coast, was about eight 
feet in width and quite level at the bottom. On the 
east side the rock was six feet high, smooth, and 
vertical, except that it was broken in two places, 
forming at each a shelf. The other side was lower, 
being not more than from three to four feet high, 
and was round and sloping. As if to make up for 
this defect it was, however, cut by a lateral cleft. 



142 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

We at once determined upon this place for the 
hut. The rocks would save us the labor of much 
carrying of stones and building, and the little break 
on the western side would answer for a door- 
way. 

Having now fixed upon a site, the next thing was 
to obtain materials for building. Thus far we had 
seen none whatever, everything being covered with 
snow. We now found, however, that there were 
some stones scattered about ; but unfortunately 
they were all frozen tight, so that we could not 
lift them ; and here the ice-chisel, which we had 
brought from the Life-boat dep6t, and for which 
we had not hitherto found use, was of great service. 
Indeed, without it we should not have been able to 
effect anything. 

An ice-chisel is a bar of iron an inch in diame- 
ter and four feet long, which is bent at one end in 
the form of a ring, to be grasped by the hand; 
and is sharpened and tempered at the other end 
like a stone-quarrier's drill. With this instrument 
Mr. Bonsall loosened the stones, while the rest of 
us brought them together. Some were carried two 
hundred yards, and all of them of course upon our 
shoulders. 

Having accumulated a considerable pile, the ma- 
sons began to construct walls ; but here another 
difficulty arose. We had nothing with which to fill 
up the cracks. This set us again to searching, and 
at length a bed of sand was discovered near the 
beach. The ice-chisel was now called in requisi- 
tion as a pick ; and load after load of the sand 
was shovelled with one of our tin dinner-plates 



GATHERING STONES. 143 

into a discarded bread-bag, and thus carried up to 
the builders. 

During two days we thus worked, and had then 
the satisfaction of seeing the area of the hut en- 
closed. The walls were fourteen feet apart, four feet 
high, and three feet thick. We had labored hard 
and almost continuously during our working-hours, 
reserving only a short time for our scanty meals. 

On the following day we built upon the rock, 
on the west side, a gable, of which the apex was 
six feet from the ground, and which sloped down 
on each side to the walls. Through this western 
side opened the lateral cleft, which was spanned 
by the gable, which rested at this place on the rud- 
der of the Hope ; leaving an orifice three feet high 
and two feet wide. Next day Petersen made for 
this opening a door, which was hung at an angle, 
so as to close by its own weight, when it had been 
pushed open from the outside. Not having a piece 
of board wide enough for the purpose, he con- 
structed a frame-work of narrow strips, and cov- 
ered it with canvas. The cracks around the door- 
posts were filled with moss. Above the doorway 
was left another opening for a window. Across 
this was stretched a strip of an old muslin shirt, 
greased with blubber for the better transmission of 
light. 

Now came the more difficult operation of roof- 
ing. One of the boat's masts served for a ridge- 
pole ; and on this and the walls were laid the oars, 
for rafters. Over these were spread the boats' sails, 
which were stretched taut, and secured by heavy 
stones. Then we collected moss to thatch the can- 



144 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

vas. This was even a more laborious task than 
carrying the stones ; for we were compelled to scour 
the country in all directions, and as the snow was 
almost everywhere a foot deep, to dig for each piece 
of moss that we obtained. Indeed, four times out 
of five, we were unsuccessful in finding a single 
lump, after clearing away cart-loads of snow. This 
labor would not have been so severe, but that we 
had no shovel, and were obliged to use our tin 
dinner-plates. Our carpenter endeavored to supply 
this defect by making a shovel out of the staves 
of our now useless molasses keg, tacking them to- 
gether, and fastening to them a tent-pole for a han- 
dle ; but as this contrivance soon came to pieces, 
it failed to answer our purpose. 

The moss was frozen hard, and was found rarely 
in larger quantities than a patch two or three feet 
in diameter, but more frequently in lumps the size 
of one's hand. It was dug up with the ice-chisel, 
and carried on our backs in our clothes-bags, the 
contents of which we had previously emptied into 
the tent. 

We made excellent progress with our work ; and 
on the fifth day, although feeling uncertain as to 
what fortune awaited us, yet we had at least the 
comfortable reflection that, on the next day, we 
should have a house to shelter us, and should thus 
be protected against some of the terrors of our 
position.' On that day, however, just before night- 
fall, when we were distant three miles from the 
camp, the clouds, which had been gathering since 
morning, suddenly began to discharge their frozen 
vapor, and the whole heavens soon became thick 



STORM-STAYED. 145 

with falling snow. Everything that was not very- 
near to us, was hidden from our view ; and, fearful 
that we should lose our way, we crowded into 
our bags what moss we had dug, and trudged back 
toward the tent. 

Our outward footmarks were almost obliterated, 
even before we set out to return ; and, misled 
by a casual track, we held too far to the north, 
and came upon the sea almost two miles above 
the camp. By this time a light southerly wind 
was blowing, and, being compelled to face it, we 
reached the tent much chilled and exhausted. 
We held on to our moss-bags, however ; and, after 
spreading their contents upon the hut, we found 
that, with what had been previously collected, there 
was sufficient to cover the south side with a layer 
a foot thick. 

The wind continued to increase with the dark- 
ness, and, by the time supper was over, blew strong 
from the south-southeast. The drift was whirling 
in eddies through the air, and a gloomy night was 
coming on, as we drew under our canvas shelter. 

Thus closed Monday, the 2d of October, the ninth 
day of our stay at this desolate place, and, as pre- 
viously stated, the fifth of our hut-building. Of our 
labors I have only recorded a part, for the building 
was performed chiefly by one half of the company, 
— the other half being necessarily occupied in roam- 
ing about in search of game. Petersen was our 
general mechanic and tinker, and when anything 
was required of him in either capacity, he stayed at 
home, and Bonsall or myself took the gun or the ri- 
fle. He was not often absolutely needed, and was 

13 



146 . AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

therefore usually out hunting during the day; yet 
he always came home empty-handed, except on 
one occasion, when he brought in five ptarmigans, 
all of which he shot within a hundred yards of 
the camp on his return. There were several cracks 
in the ice not far from the shore, which were kept 
open by the changing tide ; and in these cracks 
were frequently seen walrus and seal, but they 
were too timid to be approached. Petersen fired 
at them several times, but they were always beyond 
his range. Along the shore, to the south of our po- 
sition, he built several fox-traps, which he visited 
daily ; but hitherto no foxes had been caught. 

All this was discouraging. It seemed ominous 
of starvation at a very early day. Our provisions 
were running very low ; we had only a few pounds 
of pork left, and of bread only a small quantity 
beside that in the barrel brought from the Life- 
boat dep6t, of which a small portion had been 
consumed. There remained a little of the meat- 
biscuit and a few pounds of rice and flour. Alto- 
gether we had not enough to furnish us with full 
rations during a single week, and we were trying 
to make our stock suffice for a longer period. Al- 
ready we were upon the shortest daily allowance 
which our labors permitted. Men working during 
twelve or fourteen hours of the twenty-four, in a 
temperature not much above zero, require a large 
amount of food to sustain them. We were be- 
coming thin and weak, and were constantly hun- 
gry- 

To appease the gnawing pains of hunger by at 
least filling up the stomach, we resorted to an ex- 



MOSS FOOD. 147 

pedient which I remembered of Sir John Franklin's/ 
in his memorable expedition to the Copper-mine, in 
1819. This was, to eat the rock-lichen, {tripe de 
roche,) which our party called " stone moss." When 
at its maximum growth, it is about an inch in diam- 
eter, and of the thickness of a wafer. It is black 
externally, but when broken the interior appears 
white. When boiled it makes a glutinous fluid, 
which is slightly nutritious. Although in some 
places it grows very abundantly, yet in our locality 
it, like the game, was scarce. Most of the rocks 
bad none upon them ; and there were very few 
from which we could collect as much as a quart. 
The difficulty of gathering it was much augmented 
by its crispness, and the firmness of its attachment. 

For this plant, poor though it was, we were com- 
pelled to dig. The rocks in every case were to be 
cleared from snow, and often our pains went un- 
rewarded. The first time this food was tried it 
seemed to answer well ; it at least filled the stom- 
ach, and thus kept off the horrid sensation of hunger 
until we got to sleep ; but it was found to produce 
afterward a painful diarrhoea. Beside this unpleas- 
ant effect, fragments of gravel, which were mixed 
with the moss, tried our teeth. We picked the 
plants from the rock with our knives, or a piece of 
hoop-iron ; and we could not avoid breaking off 
some particles of the stone. 

I must not neglect to mention a most important 
discovery made about this time. I allude to a 
little fresh-water (melted snow) lake, which was 
found by one of the party in a hollow, three quar 
ters of a mile east from the camp. This lake was 



148 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

about fifty by thirty yards in diameter, and about 
five feet deep in the centre. When it was first 
discovered, the ice upon it was only a foot and a 
half thick. By breaking through this crust with the 
ice-chisel, we obtained an excellent supply of pure 
water. This enabled us greatly to economize our 
fuel. 

Neither should I neglect to mention a circum- 
stance which, perhaps, will not strike the reader 
as of great importance, but which occasioned us 
for several days not a little suffering, since it de- 
prived us of almost our only comfort. This was 
the failure of the stock of roasted coffee which we 
had brought with us from the ship. There still 
remained to us a good supply of the berries, but we 
had no means of roasting them. We were, there- 
fore, compelled to use tea ; and having of this only 
a small quantity, we were reduced to a meagre 
allowance at each meal. The luxury of hot, strong 
coffee, to a cold, hungry, tired, and dispirited man, 
will, I am sure, be appreciated. Tea was less grate- 
ful to us. I do not know how we could have 
dispensed with a hot drink in the morning and 
evening, when everything else was so chill and 
cheerless. 



CHAPTER XV. 

HUT BUILDING CONTINUED. 

Tuesday^ October Zd. The storm which set in 
last evening, continued through the night and dur- 
ing the next day ; the snow fell thick and fast ; the 
wind blew fearfully, and the air was filled with 
drift. We could scarcely stir out of the tent or 
do anything else except cook the necessary food. 
This service was performed by Godfrey and my- 
self, it being our turn to-day at the galley. 

We crawled out in the morning at eight o'clock, 
amid cries of " Shut the door ! Shut the door ! " 
from our half-slumbering comrades, as the snow 
came whirling in upon their faces; and after dig- 
ging the cooking apparatus out of a deep snow- 
bank, which was piled up alongside of and against 
the tent, we faced the storm, and carried the differ- 
ent articles over to the hut, with the view of there 
obtaining shelter. The hut was found to be almost 
covered ; on the south side the drift was level with 
the comb of the roof. All access to the doorway 
was obstructed, and we could gain entrance only 
by tearing up the canvas on the northwest corner. 
Through the orifice, thus made, the blubber-keg, 
lamp, and kettle were lowered. 

13 * 



150 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

To our sorrow the hut was half filled with snow, 
feathery streams of which came pouring in through 
the cracks around the roof. These fine particles 
filled the air, and made everything so damp that it 
was with much difficulty that the fire was kindled. 
Leaving Godfrey engaged in this delicate operation, 
I took the kettle, determined to get if possible some 
water from the lake. The fuel which must other- 
wise be used for melting snow, might thus be saved 
for roasting coffee, the want of which was greatly 
felt by all of us. 

Clambering up through the hole in the roof, I 
turned to the right around the base of a pile of 
rocks, and then beat up diagonally against the 
gale. The drift was almost blinding, and my face 
grew so cold that I was frequently forced to turn 
my back to the wind to recover breath and warmth. 
It was with great difficulty that I picked a pas- 
sage among the boulders and drifts ; but, growing 
warmer as the exercise heated my blood, I at length 
came directly upon the lake. This was an unex- 
pected piece of good fortune ; for, as* I had guessed 
my way, I could not have even hoped to come ex- 
actly to the right spot. 

Pieces of ice which lay scattered around the 
well, had formed a centre for the accumulation of 
a large drift ; and I was therefore compelled to dig 
another hole. Selecting a spot which the wind 
had swept clear, I set diligently to work at cutting 
the crystal sheet with the dull chisel. This, luckily, 
had been placed upright by the last visitor, or I 
should probably not have found it. The ice was 
perfectly transparent, and I could see every stone 



GETTING WATER. 151 

and pebble on the bottom, shining very brightly, 
and seeming to nestle there in warmth and quiet, — 
strikingly in contrast with the confusion and cold 
which reigned above. The operation of cutting 
this hole was a most tedious one, and it must 
have occupied me at least three quarters of an 
hour ; but at length the iron bar plunged through ; 
and upon withdrawing it a crystal fountain gur- 
gled out into the frost. My kettle was soon filled, 
and I set out to return. 

My tracks were covered over, and again I was 
obliged to steer by the wind. I was getting on 
very well, having now the storm partially on my 
back ; but my good fortune forsook me when I 
had reached about half-way. In the act of climb- 
ing over a rock, in order to shorten the distance, 
I missed my footing, and fell upon my face. The 
kettle slipped from my grasp, and, spilling its pre- 
cious contents, went flying across the plain. With 
a philosophical resignation which I had the mod- 
esty afterwards to think quite commendable, in the 
circumstances, I followed the retreating pot, and, 
overtaking it at length where it had brought up 
against an elevation, I returned to the lake and re- 
filled. This time I was more careful, and I reached 
the camp without further accident, except that I 
came upon the sea some distance above the hut; 
thus considerably increasing the length of my walk ; 
and that, too, in the very teeth of the storm. 

I had been absent two hours. Godfrey had 
lighted the lamp; and, after roasting in the sauce- 
pan a sufficient quantity of coffee to last two days, 
had then extinguished the flame. I found him 



152 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

seated on the keg shivering with cold, and uneasy 
about me. He was blaek all over with soot, and 
had been nearly stifled with smoke. 

The lamp being relighted, the coffee was cooked 
in a little less than an hour ; and having warmed up 
a few pieces of pork, mixed with almost the last 
remnant of our water-soaked bread, we left the 
suffocating atmosphere of our den, and carried the 
breakfast up to our hungry and impatient com- 
rades. After shaking from our clothes the snow 
which had not been thoroughly ground into the 
fibres of the cloth, we assisted in dispatching the 
meagre meal ; and were then glad to wrap ourselves 
in our blankets and buffalo-robes, to sleep and 
shiver through the remainder of the day and night. 
It was voted that we should do without supper. 
Those who were least unfavorably affected by the 
stone-moss, satisfied with some uncooked fragments 
of it the most pressing gnawings of hunger. 

Meanwhile the wind hauled to the southwest, 
and continued to blow, and the snow to fall, with 
even greater vehemence. The cooks, Mr. Sonntag 
and John, turned out at daybreak; and they had 
even a more difficult task than had Godfrey and 
myself the day before. The temperature was sev- 
eral degrees lower, and the hut more incumbered 
with drift. The lamp and other fixtures were 
completely covered. Persevering however through 
every obstacle, our cooks, in about three hours, 
gave us a refreshing breakfast. 

I do not wish to make any parade of our priva- 
tions ; but I should fail to convey any true idea of 
the day did I not say that it was passed in un- 



THE CANVAS TENT. 153 

mitigated misery. Our tent was made of thin 
hemp canvas: it was ten feet in length by eight 
in breadth; and into this were crowded eight per- 
sons. It was pitched upon a rock, and it faced 
the storm. We could not shift it without the cer- 
tainty of having it more filled with snow than by 
leaving it standing as it was, with the door (which 
could not be closed tightly) exposed to the full 
force of the driving wind and the pelting drift. 

Upon the bottom of the tent was spread one of 
our buffalo robes, and over this the other; we lay 
between them, each person having one foot and 
three inches of space. In order to economize room, 
(and without this economy we could not have all 
crowded together,) we lay, as the sailors termed it, 
"heads and points." Each man was wrapped up 
in his own private blankets, and under his head 
were placed his boots, coat, and any other little 
articles which he could collect together for a pil- 
low. In some cases a stone was added to assist 
the elevation. The station of the cooks was next 
the door. 

The moisture of our breath was condensed upon 
the cold canvas, and hung above us in a layer an 
inch thick of delicate frost crystals, which the least 
touch precipitated down our necks and among the 
bedding. By this means everything had become 
damp. The air in the crowded state of the tent 
was most unpleasant ; in fact we had a cold steam 
bath. 

All sorts of expedients were tried for killing time. 
First, after breakfast, we opened the bedding to 
give it an airing, and turned out to stretch our 



154 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

limbs ; but we could not long endure the cold pierc- 
ing wind, and one by one the party retreated to our 
shelter. The most hardy were not out more than 
two hours; and these, fearful of losing their way, 
did not go far from the camp. Later in the day 
we spread out our driest blankets ; and, seated 
upon them, we tried to beguile ourselves with some 
rubbers of whist, interspersed with other games. 
Every one, except Mr. Sonntag, smoked his pipe; 
and those who kept journals embraced the oppor- 
tunity to make spasmodic entries ; — for the fingers 
and the pencil could not long keep company. Peter- 
sen had a sly joke for us now and then ; and Bonsall 
entertained us from time to time with some original 
drollery. 

Thursday, October 5th. Our condition is fast 
approaching the horrible. The storm has con- 
tinued, without abating for a single moment, since 
Monday evening, and it still holds on with a steadi- 
ness that is most disheartening. Three days gone ; 
three days away from the hut and from our prep- 
aration for the winter ; and, worse than all, the 
food of three days consumed ; — and nothing done ! 
Our bedding, bad yesterday, is infinitely worse 
to-day ; and, inactive as we are, we have a hard 
task to keep cheerful, with starvation staring us 
in the face. Were we doing something, this tor- 
menting ghost could be frightened off. Bonsall 
has a copy of Ivanhoe, with which I spend the 
morning. 

In the afternoon there is a lull in the storm. I 
have been out with Petersen to hunt; but it blew 
again harder than ev§r, and we were driven back. 



GATHERING MOSS. 155 

We came upon a hare, but before my companion 
could elevate his stiffened arms the animal was 
out of sight, hidden by the sheet of blinding drift 
which whirled over the plain. 

Friday, October 6th. The gale broke about 
midnight, and the morning dawned upon us bright 
as a winter's day could be. Nature looked as un- 
concerned as if her face had never been ruffled. 
The sun came dragging himself slowly up from 
behind the silver-peaked mountains, and the tem- 
perature rose to 20°. 

How much are our emotions under the influence 
of our bodily comforts ! Last evening our faces 
were gloomy, and our jests were tinctured with 
recklessness. This morning all is gayety and 
cheerfulness. We are stirring with the earliest 
daylight. The contents of the tent are spread 
down by the beach, upon some large rocks from 
which the snow has all been blown ; and the frost 
and ice are scraped from the canvas. 

Meantime others of the party tear off^ a portion 
of the north side of the roof of the hut, and then 
clear out the snow. This is a tedious and painful 
operation ; for the shovelling, as before, must all 
be done with tin plates. At length the space is 
clear ; the canvas is replaced and tightly bound 
down, and we collect moss to finish the thatching. 
More tedious still is this work than the snow shovel- 
ling; for the snow is much deeper than it was when 
we were driven home three days ago. The drifts 
are deep, and the walking laborious. We cross over 
the south bay, and find on the opposite shore, four 
miles distant from the hut, a good bed of turf. 



156 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

The bags are filled, and the men go and come, 
one by one, across the ice. 

While we were busy digging moss, a northerly 
wind sprang up very suddenly, and before any of 
us could reach the camp, the bedding was covered 
with fine particles of drifted snow. The different 
articles were hastily crowded into the tent in 
a worse condition than ever. — " Praise the fine- 
ness of the day when it is ended, and a woman 
when you have known her," says the Bible of the 
Vikings. 

Notwithstanding the wind, we continued at our 
work, and brought in a considerable quantity of 
moss ; and, although less than half the quantity 
that we want, we determined, in view of the com- 
ing storm, to make it suffice ; and with the close oT 
the day we finished our work. Petersen, as usual, 
has been out hunting, and brought home four 
ptarmigans. 

Saturday^ October 1th. Still blowing heavily from 
the north. We cannot expose ourselves long at 
a time; and after taking turns in clearing out the 
doorway of the hut, we carry stones to complete 
the internal arrangements. Petersen is occupied 
during the day in making a sort of open stove, or 
fireplace, of the tin sheathing which we have torn 
from the Hope. A pipe of the same material leads 
up through the roof. This ingeniously-contrived 
fireplace is large enough to hold two lamps, our 
saucepan, and kettle. 

Sunday^ October 8th. A gloomy Sabbath day in 
a gloomy place. We are kept within the tent by 
the bad weather. The wind is blowing more fiercely 



HOUSED. 157 

than ever from the northeast, and the minimum 
temperature during the day has been six degrees 
below zero. If Wednesday approached the horri- 
ble, the climax is reached to-day. 

Stephenson, who had been complaining a little 
during several days, was taken sick in the morning. 
His old heart troubles, which were brought on by 
scurvy, and which endangered his life on many occa- 
sions on shipboard, have returned, and he has had, 
during the day, several fearful fits of dyspnoea. Poor 
fellow ! I can do very little either to relieve or com- 
fort him! Damp clothing and an atmosphere at 
zero are wretched cheer for a sick, — very sick man ; 
and there are none but hard hands to soothe him. 
The cook makes for him a pot of tea, and I give 
him a few drops of tincture of colchicum. 

Monday^ October 9th. Clear and calm. We have 
a fine day for work ; and although the temperature 
ranges from four to ten degrees below zero, yet we 
get our bedding a little dried. Even at the lowest 
temperatures a slow evaporation takes place, if the 
air is not already fully charged with moisture. We 
have labored diligently, and have completed the hut 
before night. The internal arrangements are quite 
simple ; but their construction required much labor. 
On the south side, a space six feet wide has been 
elevated about eight inches. This is done with 
stones and sand, collected in the manner described 
in the last chapter. The elevation, which, after 
the Esquimaux, we call a " breck," is made as 
smooth as possible ; and over it are spread our 
skins and blankets. Here five of the party are to 
sleep. The northwest corner of the hut is simi- 

14 



158 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

larly elevated ; and this space, five feet by six, is to 
hold the remaining three. 

We move in late in the evening, and prepare 
to spend the first night in our new abode. Peter- 
sen, Sonntag, Bonsall, Stephenson, and myself oc- 
cupy the south ; and Godfrey, Whipple, and John 
the north side. 

Petersen comes in at sundown with eight ptar- 
migans ; and we celebrate our entry into our new 
quarters with a good stew of choice game and an 
abundant pot of coffee, cooked in our rickety fire- 
place with the staves of our blubber-keg, which 
was yesterday emptied of its contents. We have 
saved a small quantity of oil, and Godfrey rigs up 
an extempore Esquimau lamp. The hut is cold, 
but so much more comfortable than our tent that 
we have good reason to rejoice over the change. 
The light of the lamp dimly reveals those repre- 
sentatives of civilized comfort — beds, stove, walls, 
and rafters. 

Long after the embers on the hearth had black- 
ened, we smoked and talked and speculated by the 
dull light of the moss taper. Another gale was 
howling across the plain, but we bade it defiance. 
We were absolutely buried in a great snow-bank. 
The drift swept wildly above our heads, rattling 
over the moss roof, and ringing against our frail 
chimney. 

Although accustomed to hardship, yet we could 
not feel cheerful, nor wholly forget that this cold, 
tireless, damp, vault-like den, promised to be for 
a little, very little while, our dweUing-place, and 
then our grave. John summed up our stores. 



INVENTORY. 159 

" There's three quarters of a small barrel of bread, 
a capful of meat-biscuit, half as much rice and 
flour, a double handful of lard, — and that's all." 
We had less than a pint of oil, and not a stick 
of wood except the staves of the bread-barrel and 
blubber-keg. A poor outfit for a winter which her- 
alded its coming with such days as we had lately- 
passed through. Yet courage did not forsake us, 
nor was there one word of lamentation. Placing 
trust where the heart bade us, we did not lose 
hope; and I feel sure that all of us retired to rest 
thinking of the future, — its duties and its trials, — 
prayerfully. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE HUT DISCOVERED BY ESQUIMAUX. 

Thus, after twelve days of waiting and working, 
we were at length housed ; but what should we 
do next? Hitherto all our efforts in hunting had 
resulted in failure. Only seventeen little birds re- 
warded our constant vigilance. Two or three foxes, 
and one hare, had been seen, but not a single 
bear : our traps had not been entered. Forty miles 
up the coast was the Esquimau Colony of Net- 
lik. By going thither we might possibly get sup- 
plies, and by presents induce the people to bring 
something to us ; but to undertake, in this stormy 
weather, to walk that distance, without protection 
or shelter of any kind, w^ithout the certainty even 
of finding the sea closed, and withal, in our re- 
duced condition, would be a desperate adventure. 
Indeed, it could not be done. There did not seem 
to be any hope for us but in the stone moss; and 
this, poor though it was, some of us had not been 
able to eat. 

These matters formed the subject of our conver- 
sation during the first day of our stay in the hut. 
The storm having continued unabated, we could 
not stir out of doors. The snow was banked up 
against the window, and there came in through the 



STRANGE NOISE. 161 

muslin pane only the faintest glimmer of light, 
which barely enabled us to see each other's faces. 
We could not afford the oil necessary to keep the 
lamp burning. 

Late in the afternoon, as John was breaking up 
the staves of our blubber-keg, preparatory to start- 
ing the fire to cook us some coffee and a cake of 
meat-biscuit, an unusual noise was heard, coming 
from the direction of the beach. The doorway was 
filled with snow, and without much difficulty we 
could not get out ; so we listened at the window 
for some minutes, expecting its repetition ; but noth- 
ing further being heard, we concluded that it must 
have been the wind ; and John went on with his 
work. He soon had a cheerful-looking fire crack- 
ling on the hearth, which threw out a little warmth 
into the damp apartment, and lighted it up with a 
strange unearthly glare. Wreaths of smoke, how- 
ever, poured out through the cracks in the rickety 
stove, destroying whatever of comfort we might 
else have extracted from it. To escape this smoke 
we were compelled to draw our heads beneath our 
blankets. Our chimney needed some tinkering to 
make it draw. 

To turn out in the storm and bring water from 
the lake, could not be attempted without too great 
danger ; and we were therefore obliged to melt snow, 
of which there was abundance to be had by merely 
opening the door. The cook, intent upon preparing 
the supper, and we, in avoiding the smoke, soon 
forgot the sound which had startled us. Almost 
half an hour had elapsed, and probably the sub- 
ject had passed from the mind of every one, when 

14* 



162 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

the sound was again heard ; and this time in a 
manner which left no doubt that it proceeded from 
something living. One of us thought that it was 
the growling of a bear, and another that it was the 
barking of a fox ; but after a few minutes had 
passed, without its being repeated, Whipple, who 
was half asleep in the corner, protested that it was 
"just nothing at all." 

Nothing was heard for full five minutes more but 
the moaning of the wind and the rattling of the 
drifting snow ; but our curiosity having been aroused, 
the door was opened, and the snow cleared away 
by dragging it down into the hut, until at length a 
small opening was made, through which we could 
see daylight. With the daylight came in a cold 
unwelcome blast and a sheet of feathery snow; 
and directly, too, an unmistakable human cry. 

There were evidently two men calling to each 
other, and conversing loudly. The wind, however, 
made so much noise that we could not distinguish 
what they said. Conjecturing that they were Es- 
quimaux, Petersen called loudly to them, " Huk I 
huk! huk!" After several repetitions, the hailing 
was heard and answered, and we soon distin- 
guished footsteps approaching ; but it was clear 
that the strangers were bewildered. This we could 
not at the time understand ; but the cause was sub- 
sequently explained. The drift had left nothing to 
mark the position of our hut, except a slight de- 
pression in front, in the cleft by which we ap- 
proached the door, over which the gable was so 
wreathed in snow as to appear like a bank of drift. 

" Ma-ne ! ma-ne ! " (" here ! here I ") shouted Peter- 



ARRIVAL «0F STRANGERS. 163 

sen at the top of his voice. The strangers were 
still puzzled ; but soon their ears caught the direc- 
tion of the sound as it was repeated, and with 
many expressions of surprise and gratification they 
hastily approached. Upon an invitation to enter, 
they threw themselves into the opening and crawled 
down, feet foremost, dragging along with them great 
quantities of snow. 

They were a most un-human looking pair. Every- 
thing on and about them told of the battle they had 
had with the elements. From head to foot they 
were invested in a coat of ice and snow. Shape- 
less lumps of whiteness that they were, they re- 
minded me of the snow-kings I used to make when 
a boy, which, but for their lack of motion, would 
have been to all appearance quite as human as our 
visitors. Their long, heavy, fox-skin coats, reaching 
nearly to the knees, and surmounted by a hood, 
covering, like a round lump, all of the head but 
the face, the bear-skin pantaloons and boots and 
mittens, were saturated with snow. Their long, 
black hair, which fell from beneath their hoods over 
their eyes and cheeks ; their eyelashes ; the few hairs 
which grew upon their chins; the rim of fur around 
their faces, were sparkling with white frost, — the 
frozen moisture of their breath. Each carried in 
his right hand a whip, and in his left a lump of 
frozen meat and blubber. The meat was thrown 
upon the floor; and, without waiting for an invita- 
tion, they stuck their whipstocks under the rafters; 
and pulling off their mittens and outer garments, 
bung them thereon. Underneath these frosty coats 
they wore a shirt of bird-skins. 



164 AN ARCTIC BOAT' JOURNEY. 

They proved to be friends from Netlik, from whoih 
we had parted nearly three weeks before. The 
sturdy, good-natured, and voluble Kalutunah, was 
one of them ; and after we had cleared the ice away 
from his face, he hung around me, as he had done 
when I visited him in his hut, crying, " Doc-tee! 
doc-tee ! " and laughing aU the while as if it were 
great fun. 

They had a long story to tell. They had left 
Netlik yesterday morning, each with a team of 
dogs and a sledge ; had travelled over the ice, which 
they found good down to Cape Parry. There the 
water was open, and they were obliged to climb 
over the land. Coming down again to the sea 
they ran far out in search of bears. While thus en- 
gaged they were overtaken by the storm ; and after 
having sheltered themselves in a snow-hut through 
the night, they became fearful that the ice might 
break up ; and they made for the land, which they 
reached at a short distance above our camp. Run- 
ning down the coast, with the design to seek shel- 
ter in the bay below us, they had discovered our 
boats and tent ; and landing, immediately com- 
menced seeking for us, when doubtless they were 
first heard. Not finding us, they went back to the 
sledges, picketed their dogs behind a protecting 
rock, and then travelled up and down the shore, 
confident that we must be somewhere near at 
hand. 

Hardy fellows though they were, thirty-six hours' 
exposure had told upon them ; and they were 
hungry and fatigued. Seeing John engaged at 
the fire, they requested him to cook for them one 



SUBSTANTIAL MEAL. 165 

of their pieces of bear-meat ; and being greatly an- 
noyed by the smoke of our wood-fire they asked 
him to put it out and use their blubber. This he 
was glad enough to do. 

It was not very long before we were rejoicing 
in a good and substantial meal at the expense of 
our guests. We were too nearly famished to see, 
in this procedure, any infringement of the delicacies 
of hospitality, — if such it can be considered in the 
circumstances. The presence of a good joint of 
bear's meat silenced all doubts on the subject. 
While the cook was preparing the stew our friends 
were chipping off kernels from the piece which re- 
mained. These they passed in turn to us ; and we 
found the raw meat thus frozen quite palatable. 
The feast was enjoyed by all, and it was not 
ended until the bones were picked clean. The sav- 
age hunters ate the raw flesh as fast as they could 
split it off, until John served up his stew; when 
they abandoned the bloody joint for a few moments, 
to return to it again after they had consumed their 
cooked allowance. 

Supper being over, we made for our guests the 
most comfortable bed we could, by levelling the 
pile of snow which was heaped up in the middle 
of the floor. Spreading over this a piece of india- 
rubber cloth, and another of canvas, we gave them 
a pair of thick blankets, and tucked them in for 
the night. 

In order to leave the hut next morning it was 
found necessary to dig a tunnel through the drift, 
which now lay deeper than ever against the door. 
The snow was of course all drawn into the hut ; and 



166 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

by this time so great was the quantity which had 
accumulated, that our quarters became very cold and 
uncomfortable. The tunnel when completed was 
about six feet long. The Esquimaux were stirring 
early, and, anxious to be. off, were out as soon as 
an opening had been made ; but the storm was now 
even worse than yesterday. It was snowing vio- 
lently, and still blowing strongly from the south. I 
went out with them, to prevent their pilfering any 
of our small articles, at the depot ; and I assisted 
them in stowing under the boats their few articles 
of hunting equipment, — for since they intended to 
loose their dogs, every line, or piece of skin, or ar- 
ticle of food, must be out of reach. The dogs were 
fastened by their long traces ; each team being tied 
to a separate stake. They were howling piteously. 
Having been exposed to all the fury of the storm, 
with no ability to run about, they had grown cold ; 
and as their masters told us, having had nothing 
to eat during thirty-six hours, they must have been 
savagely hungry. One of them had already eaten 
his trace ; but we came out, fortunately, at the 
proper moment to prevent an attack upon the 
sledges. 

Leaving the hunters to look after their teams, I 
returned to the hut. The blinding snow which 
battered my face, made me insensible to everything 
except the idea of getting out of it; and thinking 
of no danger, I was in the act of stooping to en- 
ter the doorway, when a sudden noise behind me 
caused me to look around, and there, close at my 
heels, was the whole pack of thirteen hungry dogs, 
snarling, snapping, and showing their sharp teeth 



FIERCENESS OF DOGS. 167 

like a drove of ravenous wolves. It was fortunate 
that I had not got down upon my knees, or they 
would have been upon my back. In fact, so im- 
petuous was their attack, that one of them had 
already sprung when I faced round. I caught him 
on my arm and kicked him down the hiU. The 
others were for the moment intimidated by the 
suddenness of my movement, and at seeing the 
summary manner in which their leader had been 
dealt with ; and they were in the act of sneaking 
away, when they perceived that I was powerless 
to do them any harm, having nothing in my hand. 
Again they assumed the offensive ; they were all 
around me ; an instant more and I should be torn 
to pieces. I had faced death in several shapes be- 
fore, but never had I felt as then ; my blood fairly 
curdled in my veins. Death down the red throats 
of a pack of wolfish dogs had something about 
it peculiarly unpleasant. Conscious of my weak- 
ness, they were preparing for a spring ; I had not 
time even to halloo for help — to run would be the 
readiest means of bringing the wretches upon me. 
My eye swept round the group and caught some- 
thing lying half buried in the snow, about ten feet 
distant. Quick as a flash I sprang, as I never 
sprang before or since, over the back of a huge fel- 
low who stood before me ; and the next instant I 
was whirling about me the lash of a long whip, 
cutting to right and left. The dogs retreated before 
my blows and the fury of my onset, and then sul- 
lenly skulked behind the rocks. The whip had 
clearly saved my life ; there was nothing else with- 
in my reach ; and it had been dropped there quite 



168 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

accidentally by Kalutunah as he went down to the 
sledges. 

My principal object in mentioning this little inci- 
dent is, to show the savage propensity of these dogs, 
which are to the Esquimaux more than the horse 
to us or the camel to the Arab. Savage they are, 
however, only when hungry. The night without 
food had developed all their latent wolfish qualities. 
Reclaimed wolves they doubtless are ; and, as 
shown by the boldness of their attack when my 
back was turned and when I had nothing in my 
hand, and their timidity when I had possession 
of a slender whip, they have all of a wolf's cow- 
ardice. Their masters keep- them in subjection 
only by intimidation ; they will do nothing for a 
man they do not fear; and even the hunter who 
has been accustomed to them for years, and has 
fed them and driven them, has to watch them 
closely when they are hungry. His whip is then 
his constant companion. They are capable of no 
attachment to their master, be he never so kind, 
except in rare cases ; and they will follow the man 
who last fed them. A little child or a disabled 
person is never safe amongst them in times of 
scarcity. A story was once told me at Proven, of 
a little boy, grandson of the governor, who started 
to walk from one house to another separated from 
it by about twenty yards, and who falling midway, 
was immediately pounced upon by more than a 
hundred dogs, torn to pieces, and devoured in an 
instant, under the eye of his mother, who had 
scarcely time even to scream. I was also told of 
an old woman, who met with a similar fate. 



BARGAIN FOR SUPPLIES. 169 

When Kalutunah came back to the hut, we in- 
quired of him whether his people would undertake 
to supply us with some food, provided we would 
give them liberally of our wood, iron, needles, and 
knives. To this question he would not for a time 
give a dkect answer. It was clear that he had 
something running in his head, for I could see his 
bright little eyes twinkling with mischief beneath 
their blubbery lids. There was no difficulty in per- 
ceiving what it was ; and it was all embraced in a 
few short questions which he proposed, instead of 
answers to what had been asked of him by our in- 
terpreter. These questions were, — what we had 
killed with our mighty guns, and how much food 
we had brought from the Oomeaksoak, at the north. 

The cunning fellow knew well what he was 
about, and our suspicions were aroused. I saw 
at once that it would not do to trust him. He 
was touching a subject upon which we were es- 
pecially tender; for it was manifestly to our inter- 
est to exhibit as little as possible our deficiency in 
supplies. Although we had hitherto received noth- 
ing but kindness from these people, yet we had no 
reason to suppose that poverty would receive bet- 
ter treatment at the hands of savages than it fre- 
quently does at those of civilized men. 

Especially important was it that they should 
be kept in ignorance of our want of fortune in 
the hunt ; for they imagined that with our guns 
we could always command abundant supplies. 
When at Netlik some of them had expressed jeal- 
ousy lest we should monopolize their hunting- 
grounds. It was certainly better that they should 

15 



170 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

think that we had been busy building our but, and 
had not yet had time to hunt. Petersen, naturally 
shrewd, and understanding well the character of 
the Esquimau, was quite a match for their cun- 
ning, even although he was at the disadvantage 
of having nothing to show when Kalutunah put 
the question squarely to him : " How will you 
live ? " — " Live ? shoot bear when we get hungry ; 
sleep when we get tired; Esquimaux will bring us 
bear, we shall give them presents, and sleep all the 
time. White man easily get plenty to eat. Al- 
ways plenty to eat, plenty of sleep." Such, as 
nearly as could be interpreted, were the spirit and 
substance of Petersen's reply. 

Thus opened our negotiations. Their impor- 
tance will be appreciated by the reader just in 
proportion as he may estimate the value which we 
placed upon our lives. As will have been seen, 
they were conducted upon this basis, namely : that, 
since with an Esquimau eating and sleeping and 
idling embrace the sum of human aspirations, it 
was in the circumstances an allowable policy, to 
encourage the belief that we asked for food only 
on account of our natural desire to sleep and be 
idle, and not from any want of ability on our part 
to capture with our own hands whatever we chose. 
Petersen managed the matter quite skilfully, and 
proved himself a very Talleyrand in diplomacy. 

Plainly, the case stood thus. The hunt having 
utterly failed to supply us, we must get our food 
of the natives, or not at all; at least there seemed 
to be no other help for us except, as already ob- 
served, in the stone moss, — upon which we had 



DIPLOMACY. 171 

very little expectation that any of us could live 
long. Kalutunah and his people coveted (and it 
was very natural that they should) our possfes- 
sions ; and they would take the shortest and safest 
road to get them. Although not generally in- 
clined to cruelty, they are callous to suffering ; and 
we knew very well that if the idea once entered 
their heads that we were dependent upon them, 
we should not get a pound of meat, and our hut 
would never receive a visit until they thought we 
had all starved to death. On the other hand, if 
they thought that we were lazy, and that we did 
not catch bears simply because we did not wish to 
do it ; and that we preferred to take our ease and 
pay for what we wanted, they would supply us for 
a consideration. With them, although a drone is 
despised and often murdered to be gotten rid of, 
yet a great man is always a lazy man. He at 
least is the great man among them, who by skill 
and success in hunting, earns a right to the otium 
cum dignitate. Indolence then becomes respecta- 
ble, as it does under like conditions everywhere. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

A TWO WEEKS FAMINE. 

The result of the negotiations recorded in the pre- 
ceding chapter was to satisfy the Angekok that the 
Kablunet were not as poor as he had imagined ; and 
that it was the policy of the tribe to cultivate friendly 
relations with them. Accordingly, we made with 
him a sort of treaty or compact, by which his peo- 
ple were to furnish us with as much food as we 
might want ; and \\fe, in return, were to supply them 
with wood, iron, knives, and needles, at rates subse- 
quently to be fixed upon. With these terms both 
the contracting parties appeared to be well pleased ; 
and the Angekok and his companion, after passing 
another night with us and receiving some valuable 
presents, took their departure for Saunders Island, 
where there was a settlement called Akbat (the 
Lumme Hill). They left with us enough meat (all 
they had) for one meal, and a piece of blubber, from 
which we tried out three pints of oil. Petersen 
manufactured, of a sheet of tin, a little flat lamp to 
burn with a cotton wick ; and rigged it to the up- 
right post which stood in the centre of the room as 
a support to the roof, now heavy with more than 



i 



DOORWAY MADE. 173 

two feet of snow. This lamp gave us light enough 
to read by, and made the apartment look more 
cheerful. 

It was almost two weeks before we saw the 
Esquimaux again. In the mean time our worst 
suspicions were aroused respecting their intentions 
tow^ards us, and we began to entertain serious 
doubts of our own safety. This period is full of 
sad memories. It was a long interval of suffering ; 
and to call up all the harrowing details of its history 
would give no more pleasure to the reader than to 
myself. I will therefore pass briefly over the record, 
giving only what is needful to complete the nar- 
rative. 

Our work went on. The snow was cleared away 
from the doorway, and a trench nine feet long and 
two feet wide was cut through the drift out toward 
the sea. This trench was covered with blocks of 
snow ; and, being made tight, gave us additional 
security against the winds. At its outer end a hole 
opened upward into daylight; and through this we 
obtained entrance to, and exit from the hut. This 
orifice was covered with canvas to keep out the 
snow. 

That this rude contrivance for a dooi'way, to- 
gether with the hut itself, may be better understood, 
I will describe it more in detail. 

Let the reader suppose that I have just returned 
from a visit to the traps. First, I raise the flat can- 
vas lid, then jump down four feet, then draw in 
my head and drop the canvas. * I now crawl on 
all fours, through six feet of darkness, up a gentle 
slope, then three feet more down a rapid descent, 

15* 



174 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

when I come against tke door ; this I push open 
with my head ; I pass through, the door shuts of it- 
self, and I stand upright, taking care not to strike my 
head against the oar-rafters. I am now inside the 
hut. The floor, or aisle, on which I stand is three 
feet wide. To my right hand is the " breck," 
which is the bed and seat of four of my compan- 
ions ; my place is among them. To my left is the 
" breck " of three others. If this entrance is sup- 
posed to be late in the day, they are lying down 
side by side, a buffalo-skin under them, blankets 
over them, their heads close to my feet. Mr. Bon- 
sall comes first, then Mr. Sonntag, then a vacant 
place, then poor sick Stephenson, and last comes Mr. 
Petersen. John, Godfrey, and Whipple lie in a row 
on the other side, at right angles to the direction of 
the four previously named. Before me is the post 
which sustains the roof, and supports our little lamp 
which has one feeble flame. Over this flame is 
suspended a square kettle, which we have made of 
our Borden's meat-biscuit can. We have aban- 
doned the lake ; and now, with this lamp and kettle, 
we melt from the snow all the water that we require, 
— at least all that we can afford. Beyond the post 
stands our open stove, in which mg,y be seen the 
copper-kettle and the saucepan ; but there is no fire 
there. We have fire only twice a day. Close 
behind the stove is the solid rock, which forms the 
eastern side of our hut. In a recess, in the further 
corner to the left, are stowed three clothes-bags ; in 
the corresponding corner, to the right, are five more. 
Petersen's head is close to the stove ; and close to 
Petersen's head stands a gun ; the others are hang- 



BOAT BROKEN UP. 175 

ing outside on pegs, in the passage. The canvas 
and rafters overhead, and the walls all around, are 
white with a coating of frost and ice, — the con- 
densed moisture of our breath. It is a cold, damp, 
dark, cheerless place. The temperature is not be- 
low zero at the floor, nor above 40° in the centre. 
The temperature outside ranges from zero to 20° 
below it. It is early winter yet, and the cold has 
not fully set in. This difference between the out- 
side and inside record is owing to the heat radiated 
from our bodies. The warm breath, charged with 
the moisture which frescoes the walls and ceiling of 
our snow-palace with glittering crystals, heats it too. 
The reader will more readily appreciate this when 
he recalls the dimensions of the apartment into 
which were crowded eight men. Its average length 
(for the walls are not quite parallel) is fourteen feet, 
its breadth is eight feet, and its mean height is five 
feet. 

I have said that we had fire only twice a day. 
This fire was not, however, intended for warmth, 
but merely for the purpose of boiling a pot of coffee, 
and of cooking whatever food we might have. 
Whilst we had fat we used the lamp which had 
served us in the field ; but this failing, we burned 
whatever wood we happened to possess. I have 
already mentioned that we were using the staves of 
our bread-barrel and of om- kegs. These could not, 
of course, last long ; and, at length, there was no 
resource but our boats. The Hope was, accord- 
ingly, broken to pieces. It went to our very hearts 
to destroy this gallant companion of so many strug- 
gles ; and we knew not how far the act might affect 



176 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

our future fortunes ; but come what would, and 
regret the destruction as we might, there was no 
alternative. At first we used her tenderly, as if 
to prolong the actual dissolution, — tearing away 
such pieces only as did not affect her form ; but, 
finally, the gunwale had to be sacrificed, — and then 
the Hope lay in the snow a hopeless wreck. We 
looked upon her now merely as a mass of lumber, 
and burned her up without compunction. The best 
pieces, — the thwarts, thg keel, and in fact all that 
were likely to be of any service to the Esquimaux, — 
were saved, and carefully stowed away in one corner 
of the hut as merchandise, so as to be inaccessible 
to the thieving fellows whose skill and acquisitive- 
ness were now to be our only dependence for the 
means of life. 

It must not be thought that this insignificant 
supply of wood, altogether not more than a few 
arm-loads, gave us much fire. At most, we could 
use only a mere handful of splinters ; and even 
these were poor, for the wood was water-soaked, 
and a large part of it could not be made to burn 
without constant blowing. In consequence of this 
there was so much smoke that we were almost 
stifled whenever meal-time came round ; sometimes 
we were absolutely driven from the hut. 

We were indefatigable in our efforts to add some- 
thing to our stock of food ; but day after day went 
by, and still it was the same monotonous story, — 
failure. Fox-traps were built along the shore, to the 
north and to the south, chiefly under the superin- 
tendence of Petersen. There were, I think, four- 
teen, and they ranged over nearly ten miles of 



BUILDING TEAPS. 177 

coast. They were visited daily, when the weather 
would permit ; but, except in a single instance, none 
of them were ever found to contain anything but 
drifted snow, which required them to be torn down 
and reconstructed. Several times they had been en- 
tered by animals, which had escaped in consequence 
of some defect of construction. 

These traps were built nearly upon the same prin- 
ciple as a boy's rabbit-trap at home. Selecting a 
smooth, level rock, we arranged some flat stones of 
about six inches thick, so as to inclose on three 
sides an area six inches by two feet and a half. 
Over this inclosure were laid other flat stones ; and 
between the two which closed up one of the ends, 
was inserted a peg projecting an inch within the 
inclosure. On this peg was loosely hung, by a loop, 
a small piece of meat ; outside of this, on the same 
peg, was placed another loop made at the end of a 
cord, which was carried up through the rear of the 
trap, and over the top to the front, where it was tied 
around a thin flat flag of slate which moved freely 
up and down, being guided and held by two large 
blocks placed one on either side of the entrance. 
The operation of this simple machinery will be 
readily understood. The fox enters under the slide 
or trap-door, advances to the rear, seizes the bait, 
and attempts to back out ; the bait is pulled from the 
peg, and with it the loop which supports the door. 
This support being removed the door falls, and 
the animal is caught. Everything now depends 
upon the cracks being tightly closed ; for if the 
animal can get his little nose between two stones, 
he is sure to make his way out. It is also impor- 



/ 



178 * AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

tant that the space should not be large enough to 
allow him to turn round ; for, in that case, the trap 
must be very perfect if he does not loosen the door 
and escape. This accident happened to us several 
times, — no doubt, to the great joy of the fox, but 
much to our discomfiture. 

Not a day passed that we were not out with our 
guns and rifles. Petersen, accompanied by different 
members of the party in turn, watched the open 
cracks in the ice for a seal or a walrus ; while others 
were scouring the land in search of hares and foxes. 
Of the former we discovered not one, although 
tracks were sometimes observed, and our search was 
most diligent. The animals being purely white, 
with only a few black hairs on the tips of their 
ears, could not be easily detected. They frequent 
the rocky places where they find shelter, and come 
down to the plain to feed on grass, moss, and lichen, 
which they dig up from beneath the snow. We 
hunted around and around the rocks at the base 
of the cliffs, where it seemed most probable that 
hares would be found, but to no purpose ; we could 
never start one. The foxes (both the blue and white 
varieties) were repeatedly seen ; but they were very 
timid, and could not be approached within a shorter 
range than two or three hundred yards. On one 
occasion Mr. Bonsall and myself had a tedious run 
for fully three hours after one, without success. 
Each of us had a gun, and we tried every art and 
stratagem. The little fellow was seen one moment 
far up the hill-side, seated upon a rock ; and being 
thence pursued, he would leap down, and clamber- 
ing around the face of the hill, would be next seen 



FOX HUNTING. 179 

on the plain ; where, again pursued, he would play- 
fully circle about us, as if the subject of slaughter- 
ing him was to us not the most serious business 
in the world. Bonsall hid behind a rock while I 
chased ; and again I hid and Bonsall chased ; but, 
although several times the secreted party seemed to 
be directly in the fox's path, yet he always turned at 
the proper moment to insure the safety of his neck, 
trotting gracefully away, snuffing the air, — the pret- 
tiest and most provoking of living creatures. He 
was about the size of a domestic cat, round and 
plump, white as the snow, wdth a long, pointed 
nose, and a long, trailing, bushy tail, which seemed 
to be his especial pride. It was quite evident that 
he was amusing himself; and he appeared to be 
conscious that he was doing it at our expense. He 
rolled and tossed himself about among the loose 
drift, now springing into the air, now bounding 
away, now stopping short, cocking his head to one 
side and elevating one foot, as if listening, seeming 
all the time to be showing off his " points " to ene- 
mies, for whom he cared not the value of the very 
smallest part of his very pretty tail. Tired and ex- 
hausted we gave up the pursuit and returned home. 
The fox followed us, always at a safe distance ; and 
when we last saw him, as we looked back from the 
rocks above the hut, he was mounted on an eleva- 
tion, uttering his shrill, sharp cry, which sounded 
much like mockery of our defeat. 

Petersen had no better success at sea. He ob- 
served several seals, but all of them at a distance. 
One was fired at by him at the long range of two 
hundred yards, and was wounded ; another was 



180 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

killed, or supposed to be, at a shorter distance ; but 
the wounded one escaped and the other sank. 

The place is barren and desolate beyond descrip- 
tion. Kalutunah told us that the coast, from a little 
way below Cape Parry to the mouth of Wolsten- 
holme Sound, is called " the barren ground." Even 
the poor pittance of stone-moss that we get, comes 
not without hard labor and much searching. Some 
of us are in pursuit of it almost every day. This 
service generally falls to the lot of Sonntag, Bonsall, 
and myself. Stephenson is an invalid, but when he 
can crawl out of doors we may count upon him, for 
he is full of spirit. The moss does not agree with 
John, Godfrey, and Whipple, as well as with the rest 
of us, and we seldom have their help ; we therefore 
put them on watch alternately at the hut, and let one 
of them go with Petersen, and the other to the traps 
at Booth Bay, when they are able. The poor fel- 
lows, however, are mostly sick, and they seldom stir 
abroad. 

We (the moss-gatherers) go out in the morning as 
soon as it is light. Each carries a tin-plate, a piece 
of hoop-iron (a relic of our kegs) bent in the shape 
of a horse-shoe, and a little bag, — which is a shirt 
with the neck and sleeves tied up. The plate is to 
clear away the snow, which is often more than two 
feet deep ; the iron is to scrape off the moss. We 
travel always over much ground. Once we crossed 
the bay to the south of us, and were distant from the 
hut six miles. Sometimes our labor is rewarded 
with a good supply, — enough to last two or three 
days ; sometimes we do not collect enough in five or 
six hours to give us a single meal. I have sought 



SHORT ALLOWANCE. 181 

alone, for a whole day, without getting a pint. The 
greater number of the rocks have nothing on them, 
and the hard labor of clearing away the deep snow 
is unrecompensed. 

We boil the moss with a handful or two of meat- 
biscuit, flour, or bread-dust, and thus eke out our 
supplies. It is disgusting at best, and is scarcely 
more nutritious than paper. When the Esquimaux 
left us, we had each thirty-six biscuits, besides three 
pints of bread-dust. The allowance to each man 
was one biscuit a day ; but the temperature is so low, 
and our labor so hard, that this small quantity of 
food is not sufficient for our need. We vote to live 
better, and then starve if we must, — and so we 
double the ration. 

Every day of this sort of life tells its tale in fur- 
rows in our cheeks ; the stone-moss has given some 
of us violent diarrhoea and gastritis. We are all 
frightfully weak. Godfrey has fainted in trying to 
raise himself; and falling, he would have seriously 
injured himself against the wall, had he not been 
caught by John. The latter is scarcely able to walk ; 
and besides he suffers much from hemorrhoids. 
Whipple is no stronger. Stephenson lies beside me, 
gasping for breath. His heart troubles have come 
back ; and I never go out without expecting to find 
him, upon my return, a corpse. 

What shall we do ? Will the Esquimaux never 
come ? — 

Yes! here they are at last! Their merry voices 
sound loudly through the darkness of the night; 
and we are saved, — at least from our present peril. 

16 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

SCHEMES FOR MOVING SOUTHWARD. 

October 26th, Thb Esquimaux have come and 
gone again ; and we, having gone through the nat- 
ural ravenous assaults of starving men upon their 
supplies, are now fattening on the juicy bear's meat 
they left us. They had gone down to Cape York on 
a visit to their brethren there, stopping on the way 
at Akbat, and hunting in the interval. Cape York 
is the most southern settlement of this people. The 
place is called by them Imnanak (the cliffs). They 
had upon their sledges the skins of three bears, and 
the greater part of the meat of the animals ; but they 
were very chary of it, and we obtained only enough 
to suffice us for a few days. 

We ate of our newly acquired food no more than 
was necessary to restore our strength. The defi- 
ciency of bulk we supplied, as before, with stone- 
moss. This moss, however, during forty-eight hours 
after the arrival of the sledges, was voted a nuisance ; 
and we devoured the rich and wholesome food as 
only famished men could. These two days wrought 
a wonderful change in us. Our cheeks filled out ; 
the dizziness with which we had all been affected 



A CHEERFUL EVENING. 183 

vanished ; and our normal strength was in a measure 
regained. The ghastly, haggard expression which 
our faces wore gave place to one of cheerfulness. 

The evening after our savage benefactors left us 
figures in my memory as one of the pleasantest of 
my life ; pleasant because it was cheerful, because all 
care was forgotten, and the moment was enjoyed for 
its own sake, without thought for the morrow, or fear 
of what was to come in the more distant future. 
We felt hopeful, strong, and self-reliant ; and, more 
than all, we felt thankful in our very heart of hearts 
for the Providential gifts so timely sent us, teaching 
us our dependence upon the Great Universal Father, 
who, as he " suffers not a sparrow to fall to the 
ground without his notice," forsakes not even the 
weakest of his children in the solitude of the desert. 

It was indeed a gladsome time. How curiously 
dependent is our spiritual upon our physical nature ! 
Now that we had enough to eat, past and future 
perils and sufferings were alike forgotten, and we 
signalized our repast by doubling our ration of cof- 
fee. Petersen, ever careful, thoughtful, and generous, 
brought out from the middle of his bag a small pack- 
age of cigars, — a present from Dr. Kane ; and our 
senses inhaled new life with the rich flavor of a gen- 
uine " Havana." The men smoothed the bedclothes 
on the north side of the hut ; and Sonntag, Bon sail, 
and myself took turns with them in a game of whist, 
and in reading some chapters from " The Fair Maid 
of Perth." The genial warmth of Scott was felt in 
that snow-imbedded hut, and our faces expressed the 
interest excited by his tale. The temperature was 
unusually warm, having risen to 44° ; and it was far 



184 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

into the " wee sma' hours ayant the twa\" when we 
retired to rest. 

The following days dragged their slow length 
along, and the same routine of duties and em- 
ployments marked their progress. The Esquimaux 
.came again, and brought to us a few small pieces 
of meat and blubber; and they went away prom- 
ising to return with more. Other incidents oc- 
curred to occupy our attention. We caught two 
foxes ; and as we owed one of them to one of the 
traps, we considered ourselves well paid for all our 
trouble in constructing, visiting, and reconstructing 
these. The prisoner so taken was small, and of a 
blue, or rather blueish-gray color ; and his flesh made 
for us two scanty meals. Except in color, he ap- 
peared to resemble closely the white specimen already 
described. The other of the two just mentioned 
was shot by me in the night. I heard him running 
over the roof as I lay revolving schemes for the fu- 
ture ; and, without stopping to dress, I hurried out 
of the hut with a gun. The night was so dark that 
the sight was not discernible, and I therefore fired 
almost at random. The first barrel missed its mark, 
but the second was more successful ; and I could see 
the fox, badly wounded, hobbling down the hill over 
the snow. Fearful that the prize would escape, I 
gave chase, and overtook him after running about 
fifty yards ; but the experiment had come near to 
costing me dearly. Having no boots, and only a 
pair of light stockings on my feet, these were found, 
upon my return to the hut, to be frozen, — their color 
resembling that of a tallow candle. The frost, how- 
ever, had not penetrated very deeply; and, by the 



THOUGHTS OF HOME. 185 

timely application of ice-cold water, of which there 
was fortunately a supply in the kettle, and light fric- 
tion afterwards with the feathery side of a bird-skin, 
I escaped with a few blisters. This plan of treat- 
ment I learned from the Esquimaux ; and on this, as 
well as many subsequent occasions, I had opportu- 
nity to test its efficiency. 

&unday^ October 29th. I spent this day with Bon- 
sall in wandering over the plain, searching for stone- 
moss ; dedicating our thoughts to the absent. We 
knew how our friends at home were keeping the day, 
and we wondered whether or not they were remem- 
bering us in their devotions. We knew, too, that 
they must have been anxiously looking for us ; and 
that, in a few days, they would begin to fear for our 
safety. 

The temperature when we went out in the morn- 
ing was thirty-two degrees below zero, and scraping 
off the snow was so cold a work that we obtained 
little moss. 

At noon we halted nearly at the head of the south 
bay, where there is a pile of rocks above a low preci- 
pice from which we commanded a good view. Here 
we found Petersen, who had torn down a trap to 
clear it of snow ; and who was just commencing 
to reconstruct it. He had visited all his traps, and 
rebuilt and rebaited them. 

Petersen too had his thoughts in the south. His 
wife, his daughter, and his boy were engrossing his 
soul, while his body grew chilly at his unwelcome 
work. His face was sad and thoughtful ; and as I 
came up beside him and lifted a stone for him, he 

16* 



186 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

said, sorrowfully, " I was thinking of Paul." Ah ! 
pretty, gallant little Paul ! it was well that you did 
not know that on your father's furrowed cheek lay a 
frozen tear. 

We finished the trap, and involuntarily turned our 
eyes in the direction in which our thoughts had been 
flying. The sun, low upon the horizon, shone through 
a gray mist, with no more appearance of warmth 
than the rocks and ice and snow about us. 

Far behind that dreary mist lay our home-world, 
gladdened by a genial sun — glowing in the gold 
and crimson of its autumn. The pictures which our 
fancy drew made such contrast with the realities of 
our situation, that we fell to scheming again for our 
deliverance. 

I had a project which possessed at least the 
merit of tending in the direction of our duty : it 
was to hire the Esquimaux to carry us on their 
sledges to Upernavik. We would wait through 
November and set out by the moonlight of De- 
cember, when, in all probability, the sea would be 
closed. Petersen declared this to be impracticable ; 
but we agreed to renew its discussion in the hut, in 
our way toward which other plans were proposed ; 
but none of them brought us to any conclusion, 
other than that it was necessary to do something 
soon. 

We reached the hut, to find there an Esquimau 
just arrived from Akbat. It is two o'clock in the 
afternoon and the temperature has come up to twenty- 
seven degrees below zero. 

Our new visitor is a sprightly little fellow ; drives 
an excellent dog-team, of which he seems to be very 



A YOUNG LOVER. 187 

proud ; and is the most promising looking young 
hunter we have seen. He is dressed in the usual 
suit of bear and fox-pelts ; but they are all new, 
and show evidence of care. He is evidently some- 
body's pet. Even among these poor savages the 
kindly care of female hands is manifest upon the 
favorite young fellows. He confesses his having 
a sweetheart in Netlik, and thither he is bound. 
Love's tokens pass everywhere — our Esquimau has 
a bundle of bird-skins to make an under-garment 
for his fair one. 

We presented him with a small pocket-knife, and 
a piece of wood ; both of which pleased him greatly. 
With the latter he at once spliced his whipstock. I 
gave him a couple of needles for his intended bride ; 
and Sonntag added a string of beads for her. These 
attentions put him almost beside himself with joy ; 
but he afterward seemed pained that he could offer to 
us no suitable return. He had nothing on his sledge 
(his hunting equipment of course excepted) but two 
small pieces of blubber, four birds, about a pound of 
bear's meat, a piece of bear's skin, and that insepa- 
rable companion of every Esquimau hunter, a small 
lamp. All these he laid at our feet ; and soon he was 
dashing up the Qoast apparently unable to contain his 
impatience to show his treasures to the eyes whose 
approval he valued more than that of all the world 
beside. 

October 30^A. We have given up all thought of 
capturing seals ; and we rely upon supplies from the 
Esquimaux, upon game from our traps, and upon the 
stone-moss. Mr. Sonntag, Mr. Bonsall, and William 
Godfrey are out after the last. I go with John to the 
north. 



188 AN AKCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

We have made two more traps. Petersen has gone 
as usual to the south. George Whipple has kept 
watch at the hut ; he is not well. Stephenson has 
another relapse : but this is not as bad as his former 
attacks. The weather. is fine. The air is calm, and 
the sky clear. The temperature at ten o'clock in the 
morning was at thirty, at twelve o'clock it rose to 
eighteen, and at three o'clock in the afternoon it 
stood at thirty-one djegrees below zero ; yet our hut 
is not uncomfortable. 

One of my little household gods is " David Cop- 
perfield ; " and I spent the evening reading aloud 
of the early struggles of the widow's son. 

October 2i\st. The day differs from yesterday only 
in a slight change in the arrangement of the dramatis 
personce. Petersen stayed at home to do some tink- 
ering ; — making of hoop-iron some knives for the 
Esquimaux. Bonsall and myself took his place. 
We found that one of the traps had been entered, 
but that the door had been caught in falling, and the 
animal had escaped. A fox had been sitting on 
another trap ; but he was too cunning .to venture 
inside. Mr. Sonntag visited the traps at the north, 
all of which he found empty. He built a new one 
and collected some stone-moss. 

The temperature to-day has been almost the same 
as that of yesterday. At the same hours at which 
the thermometer was then noted, it has stood to-day 
at 27°, 26°, and 31° below zero. 

Some fleecy clouds hang around the horizon ; and 
they have been beautifully illuminated, for many 
hours, by the sun, only a small part of whose disk 
was seen above the ice at noonday. We could, of 



DOUBTFUL PLANS. 189 

course, see even that part of it only by refraction. 
The god of day has gone to the south, and the 
long winter night is at length upon us. 

Thus far we have avoided talking much of our 
prospects, for none of us had matured any plans. 
Indeed, whatever we might have projected, noth- 
ing could have been done hitherto, except what 
has already been accomplished ; but, now that the 
sea is for the most part closed, a movement hence 
may be practicable. 

The first proposal made, was that above men- 
tioned, namely : to endeavor to live by whatever 
available means, during four weeks longer, and then 
to continue our journey over the ice southward. 
Many phases of this scheme were considered in 
turn. The alacrity manifested during our discus- 
sion was most gratifying. If the Esquimaux 
would not undertake to carry us southward on their 
sledges, it was proposed that we should purchase 
their teams ; and if they would not sell as many 
as would be required to convey our entire party, 
that we should trade with them for dogs enough 
to transport one half of us, — the other half remain- 
ing, either to live with the natives until the former 
should bring succor, or to find their way to the brig. 

A little calm reflection, and a few words from 
practical Petersen, showed that of all of our sugges- 
tions, the execution was too doubtful. In the first 
place, the distance to Upernavik is fully seven hun- 
dred miles by the tortuous route we must follow. 
We could make one journey to Akbat, thirty miles ; 
a second to Cape York, from seventy to a hundred 
miles further; but then we should reach Melville 



190 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Bay, of which as it is in winter no one knew any- 
thing except that its shores were wholly uninhabited; 
it was, probably, not entirely closed, and the ice 
upon it must be rough ; we should not be cer- 
tain of finding game ; and for so many persons 
the sledges could not carry a sufficiency of food. 

If one half of our party should be left behind, 
they would probably be destroyed by the Esqui- 
maux, as the force would not be strong enough to 
resist attack. It seemed too unpromising to un- 
dertake, in the dead of winter, to cross an icy des- 
ert of six hundred miles, with no other shelter thstn 
a snow-hut, and with no other resource for food 
than the precarious hunt. That the Esquimaux 
would not go with us appeared certain ; and it 
was not probable that they would sell their teams. 
Nevertheless the plan is a favorite one with the 
party, and it is not easily abandoned. If it could 
be carried out in any shape, all of our objects would 
be attained. We should be in Upernavik more 
than six months before the arrival of the whalers 
on their way northward, in the summer. We dis- 
miss the subject for the present, intending to talk 
of it to the Esquimaux when they shall come to 
us again. 

All of our party are agreed that, come what 
may, we must endeavor to open communication 
with Rensselaer Harbor, and obtain a supply of 
food from the abundant stock of pork and bread 
of the Advance. If we can accomplish such a 
reinforcement of our stores as will sustain us dur- 
ing the winter, we may, in case our December 
scheme shall prove abortive, go to Cape York, and 



COMMUNICATION WITH THE BRIG. 191 

there await the arrival of the whalers, who al- 
ways pass in July within hailing distance of that 
point. 

Every day makes us feel more and more how 
dependent we are upon the Esquimaux ; yet our 
confidence in them, never great, was shaken dur- 
ing the last visit but one we have received from 
them, and we must in some way speedily render 
ourselves independent of them. 

The only conclusion upon which we agree, is 
that we must, in the first place, establish com- 
munication with the brig at Rensselaer Harbor. 
This is recognized by all of us as a necessity ; but 
how it is to be effected we do not see. The dan- 
ger of the attempt would be second only to that 
of our proposed southern journey. We are three 
hundred miles from the brig, and to travel that 
distance over the ice at this season of the year, is 
truly a grave enterprise. What shall we do ? 



CHAPTER XIX. 

PLANS FOR OBTAINING SUPPLIES. 

The subject of our miserable condition was re- 
sumed the following evening. Petersen volunteered 
to go, at the earliest opportunity, to Netlik, and to 
endeavor there to organize a caravan of sledges 
to proceed to the brig for provisions. I believe that 
there was not a member of the party who would 
not willingly have undertaken the dangerous task ; 
but Petersen was clearly the best fitted by his ex- 
perience for the service. Indeed, he was the only 
one of us who could talk with the natives. 

Kalutunah, the very man whom we wished most 
to see, came next day, accompanied by a young 
hunter of Netlik, and by a woman with a child, 
which she carried in a hood upon her back. The 
little creature was not six months old ; and yet, 
wrapped up in fox-skins, and lying close to its 
mother's back, its fur-covered head peeping above 
her left shoulder, it did not seem to suffer from the 
long exposure. 

I was never more struck with the hardihood and 
indifference to cold, manifested by these people, 
than on this occasion. This woman had subjected 
herself to a temperature of thirty-five degrees below 



VISITORS. 193 

zero, with the liability to be caught in a gale ; had 
travelled forty miles over a track the roughness of 
which frequently compelled her to dismount from 
the sledge and walk; she had carried her child all 
the way ; her sole motive being her curiosity to see 
the white men, their igloe (hut), and their strange 
treasures. We must at least concede that she mani- 
fested extraordinary courage and endurance in the 
gratifying of her desire. 

Kalutunah and his companion had each a sledge; 
and each brought some pieces of walrus-beef and 
blubber, for which we paid them liberally with 
wood from the Hope. 

Petersen was soon in conversation with them, with 
respect to our contemplated journey to the south, 
Kalutunah had heard before of Upernavik, and he 
was greatly pleased with Petersen's description of its 
riches; its abundant wood andiron ; its never-ending 
supply of seal, and walrus, and narwhal, and fox, 
and reindeer. He would like to live there ; would 
like to take his family and all his people there ; but 
it was impossible. No one could cross the great 
frozen sea — the " Melville Bay ice." 

Kalutunah did not know when his people had 
communicated with the south ; but there is a tradi- 
tion to the effect that Innuit, (men,) that is, Esqui- 
maux, live there ; and that they once had intercourse 
with his own immediate tribe. 

This fact has an important bearing upon the cli- 
matology of the region, and upon the physical aspects 
of Greenland and its adjacent waters. If the Esqui- 
maux of the coasts bordering Baffin Bay on the 
north and south once held intercourse with each 
17 



194 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

other, as is asserted by this tradition, then the 
intervening space (Melville Bay) v^as in a differ- 
ent condition from that in which we found it — that 
is, so completely ice-locked that no human being 
could live there. Kalutunah declared that unless 
there were on the way good hunting-grounds none 
of his people would undertake to cross the bay. 

The Esquimaux, doubtless, once inhabited the 
whole coast from Cape Farewell to the extreme 
north point of Greenland : now, an unsurveyed ice 
coast-line sweeps around the head of the bay, for two 
hundred miles, being broken only at a few intervals 
by lofty capes — at least such is its appearance when 
observed from the sea at the distance of twenty miles, 
the nearest at which ships are able to approach. 

This ice coast-line is formed by the edges of the 
great glacier masses which come slowly gliding 
dov/n the valleys from the icy reservoir of the inte- 
rior, the vast mer de glace of the continent. From 
it are discharged in this way into the bay enormous 
icebergs, which clog it, and make it what it now is, — 
an immense, impenetrable wilderness, which grqws 
worse and worse, as it chills the air and extends into 
the water more and more wdth the lapse of each 
year and century. 

The idea of passing this natural barrier seemed to 
Kalutunah as absurd as a scheme for flying to the 
moon would appear to us. It was a subject not 
to be seriously entertained for a moment. When 
reminded that his forefathers had done it, he merely 
replied, that then there was much less ice there, and 
that they had kayaks (canoes), and that the journey 
was performed in the Upernak, the midsummer, or 



ATTEMPTED BARGAIN. 195 

season of thaw. The " Frozen Sea " is to his people 
what the tropics were to the Europeans before the 
days of De Gama, a place of death and destruc- 
tion to all who should have the audacity to enter 
it. The fiery heat of the equatorial sun could not 
have been endued with more imaginary terrors than 
those with which the mind of this hardy son of the 
frost invested the ice-desert which lay bordering his 
hunting-grounds on the south. 

He laughed outright when it was proposed that he 
should sell to us dogs with which to make the jour- 
ney. He would not sell dogs for any purpose, or at 
any price ; and for the best of reasons, namely, that 
they had none which they could spare. This I did 
not believe ; for there were in the settlement more 
dogs than the owners had any possible use for, ex- 
cept to eat ; and with a little additional exertion, 
they could seldom be reduced to such an extremity 
as to be obliged to kill their teams for such a pur- 
pose. We had, however, made up our minds to pos- 
sess ourselves of a team if possible ; for in any case 
it would be found useful. " Would not his people 
sell us as many dogs as we wanted if we would give 
them our boat, and all the wood and iron we had?" 
— " No ! " — " They could not spare their dogs !." 
The truth lay in quite another direction, and was 
revealed by his tell-tale eyes, which said as plainly 
as so many words, " We are in a fair way to get 
all we want without troubling ourselves ; " and he 
sucked in his cheeks in imitation of our lank faces, 
and then looked knowingly at the woman, who re- 
turned the salute with an expressive nod. 

We were now unwillingly compelled to acknowl- 



196 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

edge, as Petersen had told us at first would be the 
case, that it was idle to think of making a mid- 
winter journey to Upernavik ; and we settled down 
upon another scheme which, if it could be carried 
out, would accomplish our object. This was, to live 
through the winter by whatever means we could, and 
early in the spring go to Cape York, carrying our 
boat over the ice, and there await the arrival of the 
whaling fleet on their way northward. This plan in- 
volved many risks, but nothing else appeared possible 
for us. Not least among these risks was the liability 
to failure of our stores ; and we must, therefore, pro- 
cure for ourselves a sufficiency of food to insure us 
against starvation while our plans and the means 
of executing them were maturing. Accordingly the 
subject of continuing our journey was dropped, and 
one of more immediate importance was substituted. 
The Esquimaux seemed to receive favorably the 
proposition of going to the ship ; and said that, at least 
four sledges should accompany Petersen, provided 
we would give to each driver a fine knife and some 
wood. To this we readily agreed ; and Petersen 
awaited only the arrival of the morning to start. 
To the woman and her baby was given a place in 
the corner ; and what we now learned to know as the 
" Hosky's bed " (the whalers nickname the natives 
in the South, Hosky) was spread upon the floor for 
the men. Hitherto we had tried to keep them away 
from our own proper bedding, on account of certain 
uncompanionable little representatives of natural his- 
tory which roam in droves over their persons ; but 
our gallantry was now put to the test, as it would 
never do to turn a woman out upon the floor to 



PREPARATIONS FOR A JOURNEY. 197 

sleep, — especially, since she had done us the honor 
to come forty miles to see us. We therefore sacri- 
ficed a blanket to the mother and her child, and 
crowded away from them as far as our limited quar- 
ters would allow. The tongues which had seemed 
never to tire of running were soon silenced by sleep. 

This sudden, and I may also say, unexpected as- 
sent to our proposition was received with great joy 
on our part ; and preparations were at once busily 
made for getting Petersen ready for his hard journey. 
The hunters told us what we had scarcely expected, 
that the sea at the north was closed, even at Cape 
Alexander ; and, as if to prove this, they stated that 
a sledge had come from the village of Etah, which 
is fifteen miles northeast from that cape, bringing 
intelligence from Rensselaer Harbor. Some of the 
people of Etah had been to the Oomeaksoak. Our 
comrades at the Advance were very sick, (and here 
Kalutunah laid his head on his arm, and tried to 
make a sad face,) and Hans had had his hand injured 
by the explosion of a powder-flask. The relation of 
this last incident convinced us that what they said 
was true, since they could hardly cook up such a 
story. 

We were aroused in the middle of the night by 
voices calling loudly down by the beach. We were 
used to such sounds now, and upon going out found 
there the young lover who had passed up the coast a 
few days before. He was accompanied by a widow, 
neither young nor beautiful, one of two women 
who had returned northward with Kalutunah after 
his first southern visit. 

The new comers were invited into the hut, and 

17* 



198 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

treated with the consideration due to them as guests. 
The facilities for the display of hospitality in the 
" Wanderer's House," as our den was fitly called con- 
sidering who lived in it and who visited it, were poor 
enough. All who came seemed to have learned 
this, for they brought their own provisions. The 
widow carried in her arms a load of frozen birds, 
and the boy a chunk of walrus-meat. They did 
not seem fatigued nor cold, although they must have 
been exposed fully ten hours ; and they were scarcely 
seated before they began to eat. They of course 
threw the hut into confusion, much to the annoy- 
ance of Petersen, who wanted to get some sleep pre- 
paratory to starting; but it was soon evident that 
sleep was out of the question, for several hours at 
least. The woman with the baby was asking ques- 
tion upon question, which the widow was doing her 
best to answer. The two hunters on the floor were 
sitting up, rubbing their greasy eyes, and trying to 
find space for a few words ; while the young lover, 
who was a general favorite, was laughing and play- 
ing with Godfrey, who was indulging in some of 
his negro burlesques. 

We tendered to the widow the use of our cook- 
ing apparatus ; but she seemed disinclined to be 
troubled with it, and the food was eaten raw. The 
man, her companion, broke ofi* piece after piece of 
his frozen walrus, and the widow skinned and de- 
voured her birds with no less rapidity. Four lumme 
of respectable size disappeared in an astonishingly 
short space of time. She very kindly offered to 
share with us ; and, singling out the astronomer who 
occupied the seat next to her, she made him the 



THE WIDOW. 199 

special object of her regard, chewing up for him a 
large lump of bird flesh ; but Sonntag was com* 
pelled to plead a full stomach. So great a courtesy 
she did not expect would be declined under any pre- 
tence, and she seemed quite mortified ; but nothing 
daunted, she passed the lump over to me ; but no, 
I could not oblige her. With quite a desponding 
face she crossed the floor and tried Whipple. Not 
meeting with success in that quarter she came back 
to Mr. Bonsall, who was already quite a philosopher 
in making his tastes subservient to his physical 
wants. " Now for it, Bonsall ! " cried Petersen. 
These words of encouragement had the effect to 
call forth a hearty laugh on all sides ; which, being 
misunderstood by the widow, she hastily withdrew 
her offering of friendship, bolted it herself, and in 
offended silence went on with her work of skinning 
birds and swallowing them. We all felt that hence- 
forth we should have an enemy in the widow. 

This widow greatly interested me. She ate birds 
for conscience' sake. Her husband's soul had passed 
into the body of a walrus as a temporary habita- 
tion, and the Aifigekok had prescribed, that, for a cer- 
tain period, she should not eat the flesh of this ani- 
mal; and since at this time of year bear and seal 
were scarce, she was compelled to fall back upon a 
small stock of birds which had been collected during 
the previous summer. 

This penance was of a kind which every Esqui- 
mau undergoes upon the death of a near relation. 
The Angekok announces to the mourners into what 
animal the soul of the departed has passed ; and 
henceforth, until the spirit has shifted its quarters, 



200 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

they are not to partake of the flesh of that animal. 
This may be a bear, a seal, a walrus, a lumme, a 
burgomaster-gull, or any other embraced within their 
limited bill of fare. 

The widow had one practice which, notwithstand- 
ing that it related to the same serious subject, caused 
us not a little amusement. Her late husband, for 
whose sake she refrained from eating walrus, met 
with his death last Upernak, (summer,) by being 
carried out to sea on a loose cake of ice to which 
he had imprudently gone to watch for seal. The 
tide having changed, the floating raft was disen- 
gaged from the land; and, in full view of his family 
and friends, the poor hunter drifted out into the 
middle of Baflin Bay, never to be heard of more. 
It happened that, during the evening, the name of 
this hunteir was mentioned several times, always in 
terms of warm praise, and each time his widow 
shed a copious flood of tears. Petersen told us that 
all strangers were expected to join in this ceremony. 
Our first attempt, I fear, made a poor show of sor- 
row ; but the second was perfect of its kind. The 
motions could not have been surpa^ed, even had 
the cause of grief been a rich banker, and the 
mourners his heirs. The tears were hardest to man- 
age; but a suflicient quantity found their way to 
the surface to satisfy the bereaved one that her grief 
was appreciated by us, and she resumed her lively 
manner, so far forgetting our former discourtesy in 
our present respect for her sorrow, that she tried 
again to treat us to munched meat. 

At length, to the great joy of Petersen, these cere- 
monies were ended ; and when told that we wished 



DEPARTURE OF PETERSEN. 201 

to sleep, with an instinctive politeness which was as 
well appreciated as it was delicate, our savage guests 
crawled into their respective places, and in a few 
moments the hut was quiet. 

November Sd. Petersen was off with the early 
morn, under the special charge of Kalutunah ; on 
whose sledge rode, also, the woman and the baby. 
Godfrey went with him, and was carried on the other 
sledge. 

We did not part from Petersen without many 
misgivings. He has a journey before him of three 
hundred miles ; and he is in the hands of men in 
whom we have very little confidence ; yet the great 
bribes that we have offered may be sufficient to 
purchase fidelity. He carries a letter from me to 
Dr. Kane informing him of our condition and 
wants. 

Godfrey has gone mainly at his own request, and 
may be of service. In case the Esquimaux should 
fail to make the promised journey to the ship, then 
Petersen is to endeavor to purchase a team, and go 
with Godfrey alone. Failing this, he will try to 
make some arrangement by which we can join the 
natives in the hunt. Our chief difficulty is the want 
of dogs, without which the bears cannot be success- 
fully pursued. It has long been one of our schemes 
to add our rifles to the sledge parties of the Esqui- 
maux for mutual aid. This, however, would involve 
the giving up of our purpose to go southward, and 
the complete destruction of all our equipment ; for, 
in order to carry out such a plan, we should be 
obliged to abandon our hut and take up our quar- 



202 AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

ters at Netlik, or at Northumberland Island. Not 
being able to take with us our boat or any impor- 
tant part of our property, we should be left entirely 
dependent on the Esquimaux. The means now in 
our hands for advancing or retreating must be finally 
abandoned, for the moment we should be out of the 
hut it would be pillaged and torn to pieces. 

In consequence of a light breeze from the south 
the boy and the widow remained with us. It grew 
calm in the afternoon ; and the moon being full, and 
the air clear, they could travel as well by night as by 
day. They left us at eight o'clock in the evening. 

Mr. Sonntag and John have gone with them, carry- 
ing many presents, with the hope of securing thereby 
a supply of meat, which would not otherwise be 
brought to us. 

The weather is very fine, the temperature 30° below 
zero ; and everything looks promising except in our 
poor hut. Stephenson is very sick, and I fear to 
leave him for an hour. The apartment has grown 
cold ; the temperature is not above 20° anywhere ; 
and at the floor it is below zero. 



CHAPTER XX. 

PETERSEN. 

Our expectations with respect to our own personal 
safety and the success of our Cape York project 
were now centred in Petersen. If he should fail, 
there was no hope of carrying out, at the opening 
of spring, our recently formed resolution. Our con- 
fidence in him was great; and, for my own part, I 
entertained no doubt that if the object of his journey 
could be accomplished through human endurance 
and perseverance, it would be by him. Danger and 
exposure had long been familiar to him, and I felt 
well assured that one who had never before quailed 
would not be found wanting now. For this his 
whole life was a guaranty. 

John Carl Christian Petersen was born in Copen- 
hagen about forty-five years ago. Early in life he 
was apprenticed to a cooper; but growing tired of 
the restraints to which this situation subjected him, 
he shipped on board an Icelandic packet, and 
went in search of freedom and fortune. 

Iceland pleased him less than Denmark ; and, after 
a short stay, he returned home to engage himself soon 
after as cooper for the colony of Disco in North 
Greenland. At Disco and the adjacent settlements 



204 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

he lived during several years, marrying in that time 
a resident of the country, who made him an excellent 
and devoted wife, and by whom he had two children, 
a girl and a boy. 

While at Disco, he met wdth a serious accident. 
On " King Christian's day," whilst engaged in re- 
loading a cannon which had been fired in honor of 
the occasion, he was badly injured by a premature 
discharge of the piece. By this misfortune his hand 
and wrist were permanently stiffened to such an ex- 
tent that he was no longer able to fulfil the duties of 
his station. He was therefore promoted to the post 
of vice-governor or assistant-manager of the settle- 
ment of Upernavik, the most northern of Danish sta- 
tions in Greenland. To this place he removed with 
his family, and remained there until 1850, when Cap- 
tain Penny, with the two ships " Lady Franklin " 
and " Sophia," bound for Lancaster Sound in search 
of Sir John Franklin, came into the harbor and 
offered to the vice-governor the post of interpreter. 

Years of hard service had not destroyed his love 
of adventure, and the proffered appointment was 
promptly accepted. His qualifications for its duties 
were good. He had lived during nearly twenty years 
in daily intercourse with the Esquimaux, and was 
thoroughly master of their language. He w^as known 
on board every whale-ship that came to Baffin Bay ; 
and having availed himself of the opportunities 
which his visits to them afforded, he had picked up 
from time to time a sufficient knowledge of English 
to enable him to act, during several years, as inter- 
preter between his Danish comrades and the w^hale- 
men. 



PETERSEN. 205 

Those who are familiar with the history of the 
search for Franklin are acquainted with the services 
rendered by Petersen to the English expedition. 
The fleet returned home in the autumn of 1851, and 
he found his way from London to his native city, 
and thence, during the following summer, in the 
company's vessel, to Upernavik. 

A few days after he reached home, Captain In- 
glefield, R. N., in the steamer Isabella, put into the 
port of Upernavik purposely to secure his services 
in the capacity in which he had proved so useful. 
Although gratified by this manifestation of the satis- 
faction which he had given to the Admiralty, his em- 
ployers during the previous voyage, yet, having been 
for two years separated from his family, he was un- 
willing so soon to leave them again ; and the tempt- 
ing offer, was declined. 

After the lapse of a year, a similar proposal was 
made to him by Dr. Kane, and was accepted. He 
came on board of the Advance July 24th, 1853. His 
great familiarity with the climate and the movements 
of the ice, coupled v\^ith that quickness of perception 
which men often attain whose senses have been 
sharpened by necessity, made him a valuable auxil- 
iary to our small force. His services as interpreter 
were often called into requisition during our stay at 
Rensselaer Harbor; and his genius for tinkering 
served us profitably in fitting out the sledge parties.' 
The lamps, and other cooking apparatus used on 
these occasions, — which were so compact and sim- 
ple, yet so serviceable, — were mainly of his inven- 
tion and manufacture. He was, moreover, a good 
hunter ; and he added, from time to time, something 

18 



206 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

to our fresh rations, either by his gun or rifle, or from 
his traps. 

He accompanied the disastrous northern sledge 
party of March, 1854, and was in consequence for 
a time broken down by scurvy and rheumatism ; 
and when the autumn came, he was still an invalid. 
Yet, when Dr. Kane announced to the ship's com- 
pany his determination to remain at Rensselaer Har- 
bor, there to try the contingencies of another winter, 
Petersen was among the first to volunteer to go to 
the south, and attempt to carry to the nearest out- 
posts of the civilized world news of the ill-starred 
fortunes of the Advance. 

When the party whose history this book records 
was organized, he was chosen to pilot it through the 
ice-encumbered waters. 

Long accustomed to every phase of arctic life, the 
various exigences of his perilous career had made 
him habitually cautious ; but he was brave, as well 
as cool and prudent. I never saw in him any mani- 
festation from which it could be inferred that he 
knew the emotion of fear in the face of danger. He 
was faithful as a friend, generous as a comrade, 
but with somewhat of the persistence of a frontier- 
man's recollection of wrongs done to him. His 
general character ; his knowledge of the region ; his 
expertness as a boatman, hunter, and traveller; his 
acquaintance with the Esquimaux and their lan- 
guage ; and his age, which was almost twice that of 
the oldest officer of the party, all conjoined to unite 
our sufirages upon him as leader and guide. With 
his devotion to the interests of our little party, for 
which he felt himself in a great measure responsible, 



PETERSEN. 207 

the reader is already somewhat familiar. It would be 
impossible, however, for me to do full justice to his 
constant vigilance, or sufficiently to thank him for his 
services in the time of our need. It is with pleasure 
that I render to him now a portion of the tribute 
which is his due. 

There were two things in the world which to him 
were the embodiment of all that was good and 
great : these were his native land and his boy. Den- 
mark represented all that could be possibly wished 
for in a country or a government, and Paul every 
virtue possible in a son. Hour after hour, during the 
long winter nights, have I listened to his descriptions 
of the beauties of Copenhagen, the independent 
habits of King Frederick, the noble virtues of King 
Christian, and the glorious memories of his race 
and people. Many a long walk over desolate plains 
of ice and snow has been enlivened by his eulo- 
gies of the gallantry, intelligence, and beauty of his 
child. 

Such was the man upon whom our faith rested in 
the crisis the issue of which we were awaiting.* 

* Since the above was written Mr. Petersen has returned from a third 
Arctic voyage, — he having accompanied, as interpreter, the late expedi- 
tion of Captain M'Clintock. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

INTEKCOURSE WITH THE ESQUIMAUX. 

The three days which followed the departure of 
one half of our number were the most gloomy and 
uncomfortable that we had yet experienced. As 
already observed, the thermometer sank suddenly 
with the diminished sources of heat, and the mean 
temperature of the apartment was reduced nearly 
to zero. The walls and roof became more thickly, 
coated with frost and ice ; and by the feeble glim- 
mer of the lamp we could see dense clouds of vapor 
streaming from our mouths and nostrils. We could 
not expose ourselves outside of our blankets with- 
out mittens on our hands, fur stockings on our feet, 
and all the clothing on our bodies which would be 
required for our out-door work. 

Our previous routine of duties continued to mark 
the progress of the days ; and the same fortune 
attended them. The traps were always empty ; 
and we found little moss. The meat which we had 
obtained from the Esquimaux was nearly all con- 
sumed when Petersen left us ; and we had only 
a mere mouthful for each of our two daily meals. 
Once more we were relying upon the stone-moss ; 
and were, in consequence, growing again weak and 



VALUE OF BOOKS. 209 

sickly. The hours hung wearily on our hands. 
Our usual joint resources failed us. With our mit- 
tened fingers we could not manage the cards which 
had, heretofore, been one of our sure means of di- 
version. The circumstances were too depressing for 
us to feel our ordinary interest in reading aloud, or 
in listening ; and the time was passed mostly in 
silence. Yet never had I appreciated the value of 
books as I then did. BonsalPs copy of " Waverley " 
was an unfailing friend. Upon leaving the brig I 
had selected from the narrow shelf which held the 
little library that I had learned to love so well dur- 
ing the last long winter, three small books, which I 
thrust into my already crowded clothes-bag. They 
were the before-mentioned volume of Dickens, the 
" In Memoriam," and a small pocket-Bible ; all part- 
ing gifts from kind friends to me when leaving 
home ; and all doubly precious, — for themselves, 
and for the memories which they recalled. They had 
become thoroughly water-soaked when the Ironsides 
filled off Cape Alexander ; but I had dried them in 
the sun; and although they were torn, and their 
backs were loose, there was no part lost. I kept 
them under my head as helps for a piUow, and for 
their companionship. 

I had brought, beside, two volumes of " Anat- 
omy " and one of " Practice," as the most conven- 
ient form in which to carry waste paper for lighting 
fires. Nearly all of the " Anatomy " had been con- 
sumed during the journey down the coast ; but I 
had saved the " nerves " and the " muscles ; " and, 
in retracing the ramifications of the one, and the 
attachments of the other, I passed cheerfully many 

18 * 



210 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

an hour that would otherwise have weighed heavily 
upon me. The " Practice " was now being fast sac- 
rificed ; but I got a start of the cooks, and kept 
ahead of them. 

My great luxury during all this time was a short 
clay pipe, which I smoked almost continually. I 
had learned so to do, in self-defence, early in the 
cruise ; for, without smoking myself, I found it al- 
most impossible to bear the atmosphere of our tents 
or snow-houses ; and being unwilling to occasion 
any feeling of restraint among my companions, I 
fought through the preliminary sickness, and could 
now smoke crumbled " pig-tail" with the veriest tar 
on earth. 

On the evening of the sixth of November, Mr. 
Sonntag and John came back to us. Their arrival 
was most opportune, for we had eaten every ounce 
of meat which was on hand when they left us. They 
were brought by two Esquimaux, whose sledges 
carried a supply of food sufficient to last us for 
several days. They had a part of two bears' legs, 
several other small pieces of meat, and a bear's liver. 
This last the Esquimaux will not eat, but we were 
glad enough to get it. There were, besides, some 
pieces of blubber, about two dozens of lumme and 
burgomaster-gulls, and as many dried auks. All 
this provision had been purchased for fifty needles 
and a sheath-knife, — a small price where these 
implements are abundant, but an exorbitant one in 
the estimation of our Esquimaux. These native 
friends were getting to be very Jews in their bar- 
gainings. Heaven knows we did not grudge the 
poor creatures the few paltry things of which they 



RETURN OF MR. SONNTAG. 211 

stand so much in need ; but, with us, the case was 
one of life and death ; and, by keeping up the price, 
we prevented the market from being overstocked. 
A needle was worth to them more than a hundred 
times its weight in gold. Ours had become quite 
notorious, and by this time every woman in the 
tribe had at least one of them. Some of the 
women had nearly a dozen apiece. They were a 
wonderful improvement over the coarse bone in- 
struments which they had hitherto used. 

Mr. Sonntag and John had a hard journey. The 
track was rough. High ridges of hummocked ice 
lay across the mouth of Wolstenholme Sound, and 
through these they were compelled to pick a tor- 
tuous passage. On their way down they were 
obliged to walk a large portion of the time, because 
partly of the roughness of the road, and partly of 
the fact that there were four persons to one sledge. 
They were quartered in a double hut, one in each 
division of it, and were treated with great kindness 
and civility. They returned to us looking hale and 
hearty, and made our mouths fairly water with 
glowing descriptions of unstinted feasts. They had 
been living on the fat of the land, — upon bear, fox, 
and puppy, the best dishes in the Esquimau larder 
at this time of year. Yet food was scarce at Alibat, 
and hence they brought little. 

The hunters, who returned with them, remained 
with us during the night ; and next morning, after 
having received a few trifling presents, they started 
off to the westward to hunt. I asked them to take 
Mr. Bonsall and myself, to aid them with our 
guns, but they refused us. They were going in 



212 AN AKCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

pursuit of the bear, and rrtust have their sledges as 
light as possible. 

I went down with them to the beach when they 
started, and I thus obtained a better opportunity 
than I had hitherto enjoyed of examining the travel- 
ling gear and hunting equipment of this singular 
people. 

First, were the dogs. These were picketed, each 
team separately, on a level space between the pile 
of rocks below our tent and the shore ; and as we 
approached them from above, they sprang up from 
the knotted heap in which they had been lying 
through the night, and greeted us with a wild, 
savage yell, which died away into a low whine and 
impatient snarl. They evidently wanted their break- 
fast, and it seemed to be their masters' intention to 
gratify them ; for, going to their sledges, each one 
brought up a flat piece of something which looked 
more like plate-iron than anything else ; but which, 
upon examination, I found to be walrus hide. It was 
three quarters of an inch thick, and was frozen in- 
tensely hard. Throwing it upon the snow a few 
feet in advance of their respective teams, they drew 
their knives from their boots and attempted to cut 
the skin into pieces ; but the frost had been more 
severe than they had counted on, and the dogs 
seemed likely to come off badly, when, discovering 
the dilemma, I ran up for our hatchet and saw. 
With the aid of these instruments they reduced the 
skin to fragments, which were scattered among the 
teams, to be scrambled for with a greedy ferocity 
quite characteristic of an Esquimau dog. 

During the ten minutes occupied with this opera- 



ESQUIMAU DOGS. 21^ 

tion the animals had become almost frantic. They 
tried hard to break loose ; pulling on their traces, 
running back and springing forward, straining and 
choking themselves until their eyes glared and the 
foam flew from their mouths. I remembered my ex- 
perience with two such teams four weeks before, 
and once more congratulated myself upon having 
escaped their wolfish fangs. The sight of food had 
loosened their wild passions, and they seemed to be 
ready to eat each other. Not a moment passed that 
two or more of them were not flying at each other's 
throats, and, clinched together, rolling, tossing, and 
tumbling over the snow. The masters seemed quite 
unconcerned, except when one of them would ap- 
pear to be in danger of being injured, when an angry, 
nasal " Ay! Ay I " would for a moment restore dis- 
cipline. A more fierce exhibition of animal passion 
I think I never saw. When at length the food was 
thrown to them, they uttered a greedy scream, 
which was followed by an instant of silence while 
the pieces were falling, then by a scuffle, and the 
hard stony chunks were gone. How they were swal- 
lowed or digested was to me inexplicable. The an- 
imals now became gentle enough, and lay quietly 
down. 

The Esquimau dog is of medium size, squarely 
built ; and, as was observed in a former chapter, is 
a reclaimed wolf, and exhibits the variety of color 
whibh, after a few generations, generally characterizes 
tame animals. Gray is often seen, and it was proba- 
bly once the prevailing color. Some of the dogs are 
black, with white breasts ; some are entirely white ; 
others are reddish or yellowish ; and indeed, there 



214 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

may be seen among them almost every shade. Their 
skin is covered with coarse, compact fur, and is 
greatly prized by the natives for clothing. There 
is much variety in form, but the general type has 
a pointed nose, short ears, a cowardly, treacherous 
eye, and a hanging tail. To this there are some 
exceptions ; and most striking among those that I 
have seen, was a specimen brought home by Dr. 
Kane. 

This dog, named by the sailors " Toodlamik," 
shortened into " Toodla," was taken from Uper- 
navik, and survived all the disasters of the cruise to 
fall, at last, a victim to a Philadelphia summer. 
His skin, stuffed and set up with lifelike expression, 
now graces the gallery of the excellent museum of 
the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. He 
differed from his kind in having a more compact 
head, a less pointed nose, an eye denoting affection 
and reliance, and an erect, bold, fearless carriage. 
I must express a doubt, however, as to his purity of 
blood. From the beginning to the end of the cruise, 
he was master of all the dogs that were brought to 
the ship. In this connection it is worthy of remark, 
that, in every pack, there is one who is master of the 
whole, — a sort of Major-General ; and in each team, 
one who is master of his comrades, — a General of 
Brigade. Once master, always master ; but the 
post of honor is gained at the expense of many a 
lame leg and ghastly wound, and is only held by 
daily doing battle with rivals. These could easily 
gain the ascendency in every case, but for their 
own petty jealousies, which often prevent their 
union for such a purpose. If a combination does 



DESCRIPTION OF A SLEDGE. 215 

take place and the leader is hopelessly beaten, he 
is never worth anything afterward ; his spirit is 
gone forever, and the poor fellow pines away and 
finally dies of a broken heart. 

Toodla was a character in his way. He was a 
tjrrant of no mean pretension. He seemed to con- 
sider it his especial duty to trounce every dog, great 
or small, that was added to our pack, — if the animal 
was a large one, in order, probably, that he might at 
once be made aware that. he had a master; if a 
small one, in order that the others might hold him in 
the greater awe. It was sometimes quite amusing 
to see him leave the ship's side, in pursuit of a 
strange dog, his head erect, his tail gracefully curled 
over his back, going slowly and deliberately at his 
mark, with the confident, defiant air of one who 
feels his power and the importance of his office. 
There were often combinations against him, no 
doubt induced by the very desperate nature of the 
circumstances ; but he always succeeded in breaking 
the cabal ; not, however, I am bound to say, al- 
ways without assistance ; for the sailors, who were 
very fond of him, sometimes took his part, when he 
was unusually hard pressed. A brave dog was 
Toodla I 

Leaving the dogs, we went to the sledges to 
get them ready for starting. While the preparations 
were being made, I examined one of them minutely. 
It was, almost without exception, the most ingen- 
iously contrived specimen of the mechanic art that I 
have ever seen. It was made wholly of bone and 
leather. The runners, which were square behind 
and rounded upward in front, and about five feet 



216 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

long, seven inches high, and three fourths of an inch 
thick, were slabs of bone ; not solid, but composed 
of a number of pieces, of various shapes and sizes, 
cunningly fitted and tightly lashed together. Some 
of these were not larger than one's two fingers ; 
some were three or four inches square; others were 
triangular, the size of one's hand ; while others, again, 
were several inches long and two or three broad. 
These pieces were all fitted together as neatly as the 
blocks of a Chinese puzzle. Near their margins 
were rows of little holes, through which were run 
strings of seal-skins, by which the blocks were fast- 
ened together, making a slab almost as firm as a 
board. 

These bones are flattened ^and cut into the re- 
quired shape with stones. The grinding needed to 
make a single runner must be a work of months; 
but the construction of an entire new sledge, I was 
afterwards informed, was unheard of in the present 
generation. Repairs are made as any part becomes 
broken or decayed ; but a vehicle of this kind is a 
family heirloom, and is handed down firom genera- 
tion to generation. The origin of some of the 
Esquimau sledges dates back beyond tradition. 

Upon turning over the specimen before me, I found 
that the runners were shod with ivory from the 
tusk of the walrus. This also had been ground 
flat and its corners squared with stones ; and it 
was fastened to the runner by a string which was 
looped through two counter-sunk holes. This sole 
was composed of a number of pieces, but the sur- 
face was uniform and as smooth as glass. 

The runners stood about fourteen inches apart, 



PROVISION FOR A JOURNEY. 217 

and were fastened together by bones, tightly lashed 
to them. These cross pieces were the femur of the 
bear, the antlers of the reindeer, and the ribs of the 
narwhal. Two walrus ribs were lashed, one to the 
after-end of each runner, for upstanders, and were 
braced by a piece of reindeer antler, secured across 
the top. 

On this rude yet complicated and difficult contriv- 
ance was to be stowed an equally rude equipment. 
This, such as it was, had been placed under our 
boat, in security against the dogs in case they should 
gnaw themselves loose during the night. First, one 
of the hunters drew out a piece of seal-skin, which 
he spread over the sledge, and fastened tightly by 
little strings attached to its margin. On this he 
placed a small piece of walrus skin, (another meal 
for the dogs,) a piece of blubber, and another of 
meat. This last was his lunch ; and, although he 
was bound upon a hunt which might last during 
several days, it was all that he would get until he 
should capture fresh provision. If this good fortune 
should not happen to him, he would not return home 
until on the eve of starving. 

During his absence he would not cook any food; 
but he would want water. He therefore carried a 
small stone dish which was his " kotluk " or lamp, 
a lump of " mannek " or dried moss, to be used for 
wick, and some willow blossoms (na-owinak) for tin- 
der. These last were carefully wrapped up in a 
bird-skin to keep them dry. He had also a piece 
of iron-stone (ujarak-saviminilik) and a small sharp 
fragment of flint. These were his means for strik- 
ing a spark. 

19 



218 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Let US follow him in his future proceedings: he 
grows thirsty; he will halt, scrape away the snow 
until he comes down to the solid ice, in which he 
will scoop a small cavity. Then he will get a block 
of fresh ice from a neighboring berg, and, starting 
his lamp, (using the blubber for fuel,) he will place 
this block close beside the flame, having previously 
set the lamp beside the cavity. It is a slow oper- 
ation ; but by and by the water will begin to trickle 
down into the hole, and when he thinks there is 
enough melted to satisfy his thirst, he will remove 
the fixtures, and, kneeling down, will drink the soot- 
stained fluid. If he grows hungry he will break off 
some chips from his lump of frozen walrus-beef, and 
cut a few slices from the blubber, and make of these 
his uncooked meal ; but he will not have any fire to 
warm himself. No people in the world have less of 
this than these children of the ice-deserts. 

Each of our visitors carries with him an extra 
pair of boots, another of stockings, (dog-skin,) and 
another of mittens. These he will use if he should 
have the misfortune to get on thin ice and break 
through. 

Having placed all the above-mentioned articles 
upon the sledge, the owner threw over them a piece 
of bear-skin, which was doubled so that when opened 
it would be just large enough to keep his body from 
the snow, if he should wish to lie down to rest. He 
then drew out a long line, fastened one end of it 
through a hole in the forward part of one of the run- 
ners, ran it across diagonally to the opposite runner, 
passed it through a hole there, and so on to and fro, 
from side to side, until he reached the other end of 



DOG HARNESS. 210 

the sledge, where the line was made fast, and the 
cargo was thus secured against all danger of loss by 
an upset. He then hung to one upstander a coil of 
heavy line, and to the other a lighter one ; and tied 
them fast with a small string. The former of these 
coils was his harpoon line for catching walrus, the 
latter, that for catching seal. His harpoon staff was 
a heavy piece of ivory, — the horn, or rather tooth, 
of the narwhal. It was five feet long, two inches in 
diameter at one end,- tapering to a point at the 
other. 

All being ready, the dogs, seven in number, were 
next brought up, led by their traces. The harness 
on them was no less simple than the cargo they had 
to draw. It consisted of two doubled strips of bear- 
skin, one of wTiich was placed on either side of the 
body of the animal, the two being fastened together 
on the top of the neck and at the breast, thus form- 
ing a collar. Thence they passed inside of the dog's 
fore-legs, and up along the sides to the rump, where 
the four ends meeting together were fastened to a 
trace eighteen feet in length. This was connected 
with the sledge by a line four feet long, the ends of 
which were attached one to each runner. To the 
middle of this line was tied a strong string which 
was run through bone rings at the ends of the traces, 
and secured by a slipknot, easily untied. This ar- 
rangement was to insure safety in bear-hunting. 
The bear is chased until the sledge is within fifty 
yards of the prey, when the hunter leans forward 
and slips the knot, and the dogs, now loose from 
the sledge, quickly bring the bear to bay. Serious 
accidents sometimes happen in consequence of the 



220 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

knot getting foul. The hunter tries in vain to untie 
it, and before he can draw his knife and cut it, (if 
indeed he should be fortunate enough to have a 
knife,) man, dogs, sledge and all are among the 
bear's legs, tangled inextricably, and at the mercy 
of the infuriated rnonster. 

The dogs were cold and eager to be off. They 
were hitched to the sledge in a moment ; the hunter 
with his right hand threw out the coils of his long 
whiplash, with his left he seized an upstander, and 
pushing the sledge forward a few paces, he at the 
same moment shrilly sounded the familiar starting- 
cry " Ka ! Ka ! " — " Ka I Ka ! " which sent the dogs 
bounding to their places, and dashing down over the 
rough ice-foot. The hunter guided his sledge among 
the hummocks, restraining the impetuosity of his 
team with the nasal " Ay ! Ay ! " which they well 
understand. Having reached the smooth ice, he 
dropped upon the sledge, let fall his whiplash upon 
the snow to trail after him, shouted " Ka ! Ka I " — 
" Ka ! Ka ! " to his wolfish team, and was off at a 
wild gallop. 

I watched the sledges from the rocks below the 
hut until I grew cold. They moved gracefully over 
the heavy drifts, and wound skilfully among the 
hummocks. Sometimes they were lost to view for 
a moment in a valley or behind a wall of broken ice. 
At length they appeared only as dark specks upon 
the white horizon. Even when they were almost 
lost to sight, a cheerful voice reached me through the 
clear air ; and as I turned away, " Ka ! Ka ! " — 
" Ka ! Ka ! " rung in my ears. — Happy, care-defying 
creatures ! 



HAPPINESS. 221 

I dropped through the door of our wretched hut ; 
crawled through the dark passage and rolled myself 
up in my blankets to get warm ; half wishing, all the 
while, that I were a savage ; and thinking for the 
moment how happy I would be to exchange places 
with the men whom I had just watched. They 
were going out into the desert, laughing at and 
defying cold, wind, and storm ; caring for nothing, 
lamenting nothing, fearing nothing; in their own 
minds, creatures of a predetermined fate. 



19* 



CHAPTEE XXII. 

FAILURE OF OUR PLANS. 

The Esquimaux left us at eight o'clock in the 
morning ; at one in the afternoon we had made the 
round of the traps and were all again assembled to- 
gether. Visiting the traps had by this time become 
almost a merely mechanical operation, performed 
with only a vague hope that something might possi- 
bly be found ; and it was useful chiefly for exercise. 
So accustomed had we become to disappointment, 
that we went from trap to trap, re-baiting and re-set- 
ting, and often re-constructing them, as if it were a 
part of our duty to do these things for their own 
sake, without expectation of reward. 

To-day Mr. Sonntag and John rested. Whipple 
was still unwell, and did not venture out. Stephen- 
son had. recovered from his late attack of sickness, 
and was able to sit up, but not to go abroad. This 
left now upon the active list only Mr. Bonsall and 
myself. Bonsall visited the north and I the south 
traps with the usual fortune. 

Upon our return, a cheerful cup of coffee with 
some tender steaks of young bear's meat, tempo- 
rarily dispelled the gloom which had for several days 
reigned in our hut. The temperature of the apart- 



RETURN OF MR. PETERSEN. 223 

ment came up to the freezing-point ; and we were in 
the midst of a joyous feast, talking cheerfully of our 
future prospects, and looking hopefully to the time 
at which our absent comrades should come back to 
us, with the wished-for relief, when we were startled 
by the unmistakable crunch of human footsteps upon 
the snow. 

We listened. A slow and measured tread, which 
was unaccompanied by any other sound, told us that 
some one was approaching. Who could it be ? 
The Esquimaux did not so come. Their voices 
always first announced their presence. I looked 
around upon the faces of my companions, and read 
there a confirmation of my own fearful suspicion, — 
" It must be Petersen ! " 

Yet it might not be ; and, willing to catch at the 
faintest ray of hope, I hailed ill Esquimau, " Kina ? " 
— «Kina-una?" (" Who?— Who's there?") There 
was no answer save the solemn footfall. 

The man, whoever it was, halted close to the hut. 
A moment, and the sharp creak of the canvas cover 
over the doorway was heard ; then the man dropped 
through the orifice, uttering a deep moan. I opened 
the door ; and there in the dimly lighted passage lay 
Petersen. He crawled slowly in ; and, staggering 
across the hut, sank exhausted on the breck. God- 
frey was only a few paces behind him, and came in 
immediately afterward, even , more broken. Their 
first utterance was a cry for " water ! — water ! " 

I asked Petersen, " Are you frozen ? " — " No ! " — 
" Godfrey are you ? " — " No ! but dreadful cold, and 
almost dead." Poor fellow ! he looked so. 

They were in no condition to answer questions ; 



224 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

but they rather needed our immediate good offices. 
Their clothing was stiff, and in front, was coated 
with ice. From their beards hung great lumps of it ; 
and their hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes were w^hite 
with the condensed moisture of their breath. We 
aided them in stripping off their frozen garments; 
and then rolled them up in their blankets. 

Long exposure to the intense cold, fatigue, and 
hunger, had benumbed their sensibilities ; and with 
the reaction which followed came a correspond- 
ing excitement. We gave them to drink of our 
hot coffee, and this combined with the warmth of 
the hut soon revived them ; but the violence of 
the change produced a temporary bewilderment of 
mind, and the sleep which followed was troubled and 
restless. Their frequent starts, groans, cries, and 
mutterings, told of the fearful dreams of cold, 
starvation, thirst, and murder by which they were 
distressed. 

It was not until the following morning that we 
obtained the full particulars of their journey ; but 
Petersen told us, while he drank his coffee, what it 
was necessary that we should know at once. They 
had walked all the way from Netlik, where an at- 
tempt had been made to murder them. The Esqui- 
maux were in pursuit, and if not watched would 
attack our hut. 

So the Esquimaux had at length shown their 
colors ! Growing impatient, they had resolved upon 
getting possession of our property by the shortest 
means. What could be their scheme ? They would 
surely not venture to attack eight of us, armed as 
they knew we were with guns; yet it was impossible 



KEEPING GUARD. 225 

for us to know how numerous they were, or how much 
they might rely upon their superiority in this respect. 
The idea at once suggested itself, that, with a com- 
bination of forty or fifty persons, and an effort well 
directed, they might surprise us; and, dashing in a 
body from the rocks above upon the slender roof of 
our hut, they might bury us beneath the ruins, and 
harpoon us if we should attempt to escape. We 
did not fear a direct attack. 

A watch was accordingly set and kept up during 
the night. The sentinel was armed with BonsalPs 
rifle, and was relieved every hour. The remainder 
of our fire-arms were hung upon their usual pegs, 
in the passage, having been previously discharged 
and carefully reloaded. The iron boat was drawn 
up in front of the hut. 

The night wore away. Mr. Petersen and God- 
frey awoke, ate again, and fell back into their 
sleep. The sentry marched to and fro along the 
level plain, a few rods to the eastward of the hut ; 
and the creak, creak of his footsteps was distinctly 
heard as he trod over the frozen snow. Inside 
the hut all was quiet, save now and then a low 
whisper, the heavy breathing and occasional de- 
lirious outcries of the returned travellers, and the 
noise made by the periodical changing of the 
watch. Scarcely an eye except those of Petersen 
and Godfrey was closed in sleep. We were all 
too busy with our thoughts, and too much agi- 
tated by our anxieties. 

As I took my turn at the sentry's post, I was 
impressed with the strangeness of my situation, — 
keeping guard over the lives of eight poor, starv- 



226 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

ing, shivering men ; and against what ? Not wild 
beasts, for in the whole region around there was 
no evidence of their existence ; indeed, it did 
not seem possible that any such things could live 
in the desolation about me : not against tempest 
and storm, for the sky was without a cloud, and 
the air was hushed in the profoundest silence ; but 
against creatures human like ourselves ! As I 
looked around upon the bleak rocks, and out upon 
the frozen desert — all wrapt in night and still as 
death, — and thought of the thronged world at the 
south ; and reflected, that " here where men are 
few, as well as there where they are many, the 
common wants and common . sufferings of poor 
humanity are made to serve the purposes of cruel 
rivalries and selfish greed," I could not suppress 
a sigh over the hopelessness of attempting to find 
anywhere " on earth, peace." 

At intervals, during the middle hours of the 
night, noises were distinctly heard in the direc- 
tion of Fitzclarence Rock ; and although we could 
not at any time discover the speakers, yet it was 
evident that we were closely watched. The sav- 
ages were hovering around us ; and, hiding behind 
the bergs and rocks, along the coast, and down in 
Booth Bay, were awaiting their opportunity ; but 
they never came within view. They doubtless saw 
our sentry, and, growing cold with watching, they 
sneaked homeward. A party went to Booth Bay 
next morning, and discovered there numerous fresh 
tracks. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Petersen's adventures among the Esquimaux. 

We took the earliest opportunity to get from 
Mr. Petersen and Godfrey a full account of the 
journey which had resulted so disastrously to all 
our hopes. 

It will be remembered by the reader, that they 
left us on the morning of the third of Novem- 
ber ; and were, therefore, absent four days. They 
reached Netlik in about nine hours from the time 
of starting; and were there comfortably quartered, 
one in each of the two huts. Everything went 
" merry as the marriage-bell " during the day fol- 
lowing ; and the travellers were well-fed and well- 
treated. The very best food was given to them, 
the choicest cuts of young bear, the most juicy lobes 
of liver, and the tenderest puppy chops. The hunt- 
ers all went away early in the morning, as Kalutu- 
nah said, to hunt, in order that they might have a 
better stock of food to leave with their families,, as 
well as to take on the journey to the brig^ This 
excuse for delay seemed reasonable enough. 

Very few of them however came back at the 
close of the day ; and of those who did return, 
Kalutunah was not one. 



228 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

The next day passed, and still he did not show 
himself. Petersen grew uneasy. The moon was 
one day past its full, and there was no time to lose. 
Everything else which happened was calculated to 
inspire him with confidence. Many hunters came 
in, mostly strangers to the settlement ; and all was 
bustle and activity. Sledges were coming and go- 
ing continually; dogs were howling, snarling, and 
fighting; some of the women were running to and 
fro, between their huts and their stone houses, or 
rather their stone meat-graves ; others were ac- 
tively sewing boots and mittens. Petersen flat- 
tered himself that he was to have a caravan in 
earnest, and that the whole tribe was to accom- 
pany him. 

Kalutunah did not return until toward the even- 
ing of the sixth. He was accompanied by several 
sledges ; and among the drivers was a man named 
" Sip-su." This fellow had been at our hut. He 
was the largest and best built man of the tribe 
that we had seen ; but his face wore a fierce ex- 
pression, foreign to the countenances of his compan- 
ions. While they always appeared to be in a good- 
humor, ever laughing and gay, he was seldom seen 
even to smile ; and on all occasions he maintained 
the most dignified reserve. A few stiff hairs grow- 
ing on his lip and chin, coupled with an unusually 
heavy pair of eyebrows, heightened the savage 
effect of his face. Sip-su was a genuine bar- 
barian. 

He made it his boast that he had killed two men, 
members of his own tribe. They were unsuccessful 
hunters ; and, being a burden upon his people, he 



SUSPICIONS OF TREACHERY. 229 

took it upon himself to rid the settlement of the 
nuisance. He waylaid them among the hummocks, 
and mercilessly harpooned them. 

There were now collected together about a dozen 
sledges, and the huts were crowded with people. 
Petersen's patience was, by this time, well-nigh ex- 
hausted ; but he knew that the Esquimaux usually 
do their work in their own way. He had made up 
his mind that they intended to go in the morning; 
but as the moon was very bright he thought that he 
might venture an attempt to hasten the departure 
by a few hours ; but, to his surprise, his request was 
answered with a surly statement that they did not 
wish to go with him at all, and that they had never 
had any intention to go. At this announcement 
the people in the hut laughed heartily. 

This was too much for human patience ; and 
Petersen demanded, with something of indignation 
in his tone, to know what they meant by thus cheat- 
ing him with false promises ; but they deigned no 
other reply, than that they could not pass Cape 
Alexander, — as they called it, " the blowing place." 

All these proceedings, so different from anything 
that he had before seen, were calculated to excite 
suspicion that they foreboded mischief; but Peter- 
sen was not a man to be frightened at shadows. 
He went at once over to the other hut, and tell- 
ing Godfrey what had happened, cautioned him to 
be on his guard. He then returned, resolved to put 
on a bold front and to make a strong effort. As 
he came into the hut its inmates set up a fiendish 
laugh. This excited less his fear than his anger. 
He told them that they were a set of lying knaves ; 

20 



230 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

and that, if they did not keep their promises, his 
people would come with their guns and kill them 
all, and destroy their dwellings. His threats were, 
however, thrown away, for they only laughed the 
more. 

Seeing all his schemes thus imperilled, he de- 
manded that they should sell him a team of dogs, 
since they had more than they wanted, — he would 
pay them well. No direct answer was made to this 
demand; but Sip-su put to Kalutunah a question, 
which was, in effect, " Don't you think we can get 
his things in a cheaper way ? " 

Petersen no longer doubted as to their evil inten- 
tions toward him, more especially as they all impor- 
tuned him to lie down and sfeep. He knew, how- 
ever, that they were of opinion that he carried, 
somewhere about his person, a pistol ; and he felt 
confident that he could use this opinion as a talis- 
man to keep him from harm, at least for a time. 
They thought, indeed, that each one of the white 
men carried one of these instruments; and having 
seen some of their marvellous effects on former 
occasions, they had settled down into the belief 
that they were magical wands, with which the 
" Kablunet " thrust danger aside. This idea we had 
always endeavored to strengthen ; and, although 
Petersen had no pistol about him at this time, yet, 
as the Esquimaux did not know the fact, he might 
rely upon their fears. 

He had left his rifle outside ; for, if brought into 
the hut the moisture of the warm air would be 
condensed by the cold iron, and the powder being 
thereby dampened, the weapon would not be ser- 



CONSPIRACY DISCOVERED. 231 

viceable. In order to keep the natives from handling 
it, he had told them that the instant they touched it 
they would be killed ; and thus far his warning had 
been respected. 

How long he would be able to hold these imag- 
inary terrors over them, he did not know; but he 
was determined to push the matter just far enough 
to find out, if possible, what was the nature of the 
conspiracy which he had reason to believe was 
directed, not only against Godfrey and himself, but 
also against their comrades at Booth Bay. 

He accordingly seated himself carelessly upon the 
breck. His whole demeanor thus far had been such, 
that none of his suspicions were revealed ; and he 
felt that they looked upon him as a cat looks upon 
a wounded mouse, with only the difference that he 
must be disarmed. This task was undertaken by 
Sip-su. '^ Satisfied that this was their object in try- 
ing to get him to lie down, he threw himself upon 
the breck and feigned asleep. This procedure re- 
quired presence of mind ; but it did not seem to 
him to augment greatly his risks, since he knew that 
they would hardly venture to attack him until they 
had exhausted all their arts in endeavoring to get 
the pistol which they supposed him to carry. 

The Esquimaux, like many other people, find it 
difficult to keep their tongues tied, or to practice 
prudence ; and scarcely had Petersen shown the 
first symptom of being asleep before all their voices 
broke loose at once, and in an instant the story was 
told. Men and women, boys and girls, were dis- 
cussing it. Petersen and Godfrey were to be killed 
on the spot, and the hut at Tessuisak (Booth Bay) 



232 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

was to be surprised before Mr. Sonntag and John 
could return from Akbat. In both cases Sip-su was 
to lead the assault, and Kalutunah was to act as his 
second in command. 

Sip-su was just beginning to put into execution 
the first part of the plan of operations, by instituting 
a search for Petersen's pistol, when Godfrey came to 
the window and hallooed to his chief, to know if he 
was alive. He was satisfied, from what he had seen 
and heard in the other hut, that foul play was in- 
tended. 

Petersen awoke from his sham sleep, and, having 
exchanged words with Godfrey, made some excuse 
and went out. He found a crowd of men, women, 
and boys around his rifle. It was fortunate that he 
had impressed upon them the idea that it was dan- 
gerous to touch it. Seeing them assembled about 
the gun, he called to them to know why they were 
not afraid to go so near ; and they all withdrew. 

Having secured his rifle, he told them that he in- 
tended to go in hunt of bears (Nannook) ; and draw- 
ing from his pocket a handful of balls, he remarked, 
as he dropped them one by one into his other hand, 
that each of them was sufficient to kill a bear, or a 
man, or any other animal. They would have per- 
suaded him to stay ; but he had already had enough 
of their treachery, and he resolved to walk to Booth 
Bay. This, although a dangerous experiment, was 
clearly more safe than to remain. 

Conscious that their guilty intentions were rightly 
interpreted, the Esquimaux clustered around him, de- 
claring, with suspicious eagerness, that they " would 
not hurt him," that " nobody meant him any harm." 



FLIGHT AND PURSUIT. 233 

It was late when, with Godfrey, he started toward 
our party. The night was clear and calm, but the 
cold was terribly intense. At our hut the tempera- 
ture was forty-two degrees below zero. The dis- 
tance to be travelled by them would have been, by 
the most direct line, forty miles ; but more nearly fifty 
by the crooked path which they must follow. Even 
the three days of feasting at the Esquimau settle- 
ment had not restored the physical strength of which 
they had been deprived by their course of life at the 
hut; and, reduced as they were in flesh, it seemed tO' 
them scarcely probable that they could make the ex- 
ertion necessary to enable them to rejoin us. 

The Esquimaux sullenly watched them from the 
shore as they moved off; and when they had gone 
about two miles, the former hitched their teams, and, 
leaving the settlement, were soon in fuU pursuit. 
The wild, savage cries of the men, and the sharp 
snarl of the dogs, sounded upon the ears of our poor 
comrades like a death-knell. In their previous anx- 
ieties, they had not looked forward to this new dan'- 
ger. The ice-plain was everywhere smooth ; there 
was not in sight, for their encouragement, a single 
hummock behind which they might hope to shelter 
themselves. 

On came the noisy pack, — half a hundred wolfish 
dogs. Against such an onset, what could be done 
by two weak men, armed with a single rifle ? The 
dogs and the harpoons of their drivers must soon 
finish the murderous work. Petersen was, however, 
resolved that Sip-su or Kalutunah should pay the 
penalty of his treachery, if at any moment within 
range of the rifle. At this stage of desperate expec- 



234 AN AKCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

tation, the sledges, at the distance of about half a 
mile from the fugitives, suddenly turned to the right, 
and were driven seaward. 

It was now evident that the Esquimaux were not 
bold enough to meet the chances of an encounter, in 
which one of them must become a victim of the 
dreaded rifle ; and consequently, that in an open 
field there was no reason to fear their close assault ; 
but it might be their intention to lie in wait among 
the hummocks or behind a berg, and thus to gain the 
advantage of an ambush. The rough ice was there- 
fore avoided as much as possible by the travellers, 
although by this course their journey was seriously 
prolonged. Still, it was not always practicable to 
keep away from the hummocks ; and Petersen's suf- 
ferings were augmented by the exposure of his hand, 
which he was obliged frequently to bare, in order to 
be prepared to use his rifle at any moment of need. 
Whatever the purpose of the savages, however, they 
did not show themselves. 

Upon reaching Cape Parry, both Petersen and 
Godfrey were so far exhausted that they could 
scarcely walk ; and there remained nearly one half 
of their journey to be accomplished. At times they 
felt drowsy, and almost lost consciousness; but to 
halt would in all probability be fatal to them. Sus- 
taining each other, they slowly and steadily contin- 
ued down the coast. 

The morning twilight at length appeared in the 
southeast ; and after weary, painful hours, the sun's 
rays, shooting from beneath the horizon, showed 
them that noon had arrived ; yet there still lay miles 
between them and the hut. Benumbed by cold, 



PERSEVERANCE. 235 

exhausted by fatigue and hunger, and parched by- 
thirst, they might have yielded to despair ; but their 
faces were toward the south ; the warm hues of the 
sky re-inspired them with thoughts of home, and 
these brought hope and courage to their hearts. 

After an uninterrupted walk of twenty-four hours, 
their heroic energy triumphed. I have already told 
the reader of their sad condition when they came 
upon us in the night. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

SUPPLIES OBTAINED WHEN LEAST EXPECTED. 

November Sth. We built, this day, a wall in 
front of our hut. The blocks, of which it was com- 
posed, were cut with our little saw from a solidified 
snoXv-drift. 

As the wall had a degree of resemblance to a 
military defence, our poor snow residence bore some- 
what the aspect of a baby fort. Bonsall called it 
Fort Desolation ; John grumblingly declared that 
Fort Starvation would sound much better. 

The hut and the locality had already several 
names. The Esquimaux called it " Tessuisak," 
meaning " The place where there is a bay." Those 
which our people gave it from time to time, some 
seriously, some playfully, express the fluctuations of 
our spirits. We christened it " Hopes Checked," 
when we were first driven ashore. " The Wan- 
derer's Home " followed soon afterward, when the 
Esquimaux began to come to us. When they 
stopped with us more frequently, on their way to 
and fro between Netlik and Akbat, we changed it 
to " The Half- Way House." Once, when we were 
talking of home, and the hut was warm and cheer- 
ful, and we were praising our country and our 
country's great men, we named our dwelling " The 



DESOLATION. 237 

Everett House." Then, again, we had bright dreams 
of moving on in our course, when the spring-time 
should return, and the sun should come to gladden 
the eye and to guide us southward, and we called 
the place " Hopes Deferred." " Desolation " and 
" Starvation " were fitting names with which to 
close the series, for we really seemed now to be at 
the lowest ebb of our fortunes. We were at the 
end of our plans, and, in two days more, we should 
be at the end of our provisions. We saw nothing 
further. 

We were destitute — helpless. The only human 
beings within three hundred miles were seeking 
our lives. Of what value, now, was the question. 
What shall we do ? The damp and chilly air ; the 
blackened embers on the hearth ; the frost-coated 
rafters overhead ; the ice-covered walls around ; the 
feeble flicker of our lamp, going out for want of 
fuel ; the almost empty shelf, where we kept our 
food, — all took up the question for us, and sent to 
our hearts the scarce unwelcome answer, " Die ! " — 
Why not ? Life was not then of so much worth 
that we should plot and plan to save it, when all its 
purposes had been destroyed, — Upernavik, Cape 
York, the whalers, all were beyond our reach. 

The reader will readily appreciate our condition 
at this time, morally, as well as physically, better 
than I can describe it. We had been so long 
hoping almost against hope ; so long living in a 
state of uncertainty, neither being able to die, nor 
yet foreseeing how we should live ; so often tor- 
tured almost to starvation by that mocking substi- 
tute for food, stone-moss; and now we were at 



238 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

last SO beset by crafty savages that our feelings 
very naturally, and perhaps not inexcusably, as- 
sumed somewhat the character of recklessness. Yet 
in our calmer moments we felt that we were not 
forsaken. More than once succor had come to us 
when we had least reason to expect it, and we 
could not deny ourselves the satisfaction of believ- 
ing that it was sent to us by the direction of a 
higher than human hand. 

We labored diligently, during the 8th and 9th, 
to get our hut in a condition to guard us against the 
possibility of surprise by the Esquimaux, for whom 
a sharp look-out was incessantly kept. We also 
set to work again to gather stone-moss. 

The sun was now so far beneath the horizon that 
we had twilight at noonday ; and, at that time, stars 
of the first and second magnitudes were seen dimly 
twinkling in the gray sky. 

The wall which we built about our hut was in- 
tended as a protection more against the wind than 
against the Esquimaux ; for even the least breath 
of air,, at the low temperature then prevailing, made 
it impossible for a sentry to hold his place upon the 
plain. Inside of this wall were brought the last 
remains of the Hope, which hitherto had lain, half 
buried in the drift, down by the beach. The pieces 
were broken into convenient size ; and were buried 
under the loose snow. We also secured our tent. 

November 10th. Again the Esquimaux appear to 
us more as our good angels than as our enemies. 
Under extraordinary temptation, and, doubtless, at 



RECONCILIATION. 239 

the evil instigation of a bad leader, these poor sav- 
ages had proposed the death of Petersen and his 
companion ; but this day two of them, Kalutunah 
and another hunter, came to us, and threw at our 
feet a large piece of walrus-beef and a piece of 
liver. The latter was not yet frozen ; and the an- 
imal from which it was taken had, therefore, been 
recently caught. 

We were talking about them, in no spirit of love, 
when they arrived ; and, as they came up the hill, 
various were the expressions of opinion as to what 
ought to be done with them. One said that we 
should detain them, and hold them as hostages 
until their people should have performed their prom- 
ises ; and that their dogs should be seized, and used 
in the interval ; but, apart from any consideration 
of justice, such a proceeding would scarcely have 
been safe. Another hinted that fourteen dogs would 
save us from starvation ; for, if we should not suc- 
ceed with them in the hunt, we could kill and eat 
them. Again, apart from any question how far our 
necessities overruled the old law of meuni and tuum, 
it was certain that such a step, whatever its imme- 
diate advantages, would bring us ultimately into 
open, and probably, to our party, fatal hostility with 
the entire tribe. Perhaps, as the present of food 
seemed to indicate, we had not exhausted all of our 
means of negotiation ; and, until driven to the last 
resort, we could not justifiably use the strong hand 
upon our neighbors' property. Great allowances 
were obviously to be made for the tribe, upon whom 
we had no claims except upon grounds of humanity 
too general for their uninstructed minds. The sue- 



240 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

cess or failure of our schemes could be of no conse- 
quence to them; and there remained no principle 
upon which to sustain the seizure of the men and 
teams, unless it should be one which would warrant 
this act as a measure of precaution for our present 
safety, which was not in peril from the visitors ; or 
as a measure of confiscation and bodily punishment, 
which we were not in a position to enforce. 

At first Kalutunah was shy ; and he brought his 
harpoon into the hut with him, which he had never 
before done. Although evidently relying mainly 
upon his gifts and smiles to conciliate us, he was 
yet unwilling to trust himself unarmed in our midst. 
Desirous to reassure him, we gave to him presents, 
and jested with him as though our relations were 
undisturbed ; but although apparently his apprehen- 
sions were greatly relieved, he did not for a moment 
lay aside his harpoon. After remaining an hour he 
left us at about nine o'clock, and dashed off seaward 
upon the ice, on a moonlight hunt for bears. 

Petersen spent the day in making knives for the 
Esquimaux, in order to be prepared for the amicable 
relations which seemed about to be reestablished, 
and for the promotion of our endeavors to obtain 
a team of dogs. The knives were made of hoop- 
iron, a relic of our kegs. The pattern was that of 
an ordinary sheath or butcher's knife. The handle 
was of wood from the keel of the Hope, and cop- 
per nails from the same source furnished the rivets. 
Through the skill of the workman the result was 
very creditable, although his only tools were an old 
file, one end of which was used as a punch, a 
hatchet, a small saw, and a pocket-knife. 



THE WIDOW. 241 

November 11th. There came to us this day, with 
four sledges, six Esquimaux, of whom three were 
residents of Akbat. They were all on their way 
to Netlik. One of them was our old friend of 
sentimental memory, the widow, who carried, as 
usual, a bundle of frozen birds under her arm. She 
was as voluble as ever, had much to tell, and many 
questions to ask. We were compelled to cry with 
her only once. 

All of the visitors were at first shy ; which proved 
that if they had not shared the late conspiracy, it 
was, at least, known to them. Finding themselves, 
however, treated in the accustomed manner, they 
were soon at their ease. Each of them had brought 
something for barter ; and in a short time there was 
piled in one corner of our hut such a supply of 
food and fuel as we had not seen for many a long 
day. The aggregate was about one hundred pounds, 
of which three fourths were flesh. We had walrus, 
bear, seal, and birds ; and with economy this store 
would be sufficient for us during five or six days. 
But one meal was necessarily devoted to our guests, 
who consumed as much as would have served our- 
selves dm'ing one third of that time. We witnessed 
most reluctantly such excess of indulgence at our 
expense ; but it would have_ been no less impolitic 
than uncivil to check it. 

At the end of three hours the party set off north- 
ward, apparently well pleased with the share which 
they had received of our riches ; but they would 
not sell any dogs. 

November 12th. Esquimaux are coming from 
every quarter, and are flying about in every direc- 

21 



242 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

tion. We have a new arrival from Northumberland 
Island, — a man whom we have not before seen. 
He appeared at about noon, and added to our stores 
a walrus flipper, about fifty little auks, and some 
pieces of blubber. In return, he demanded a staff 
for a harpoon, a knife, and three needles. He is the 
first of these people who has not stipulated for pay- 
ment upon delivery of his goods. 

Regard to our health and strength induced us to 
profit by this sudden accession to our stock of pro- 
visions ; and we ate three substantial meals : a de- 
gree of luxury which we had not enjoyed since 
leaving Rensselaer Harbor. 

Our new friend, named Kingiktok, (the Rock,) 
is a sober, civil fellow, who says very little except 
when questioned. We fancied him immediately, 
and sought his friendly confidence by the gift of a 
few needles for his wife, a pocket-knife for his son, 
and a whipstock for himself. As if to express his 
gratitude he said that he was our friend. This he 
repeated several times with so peculiar an emphasis, 
that we began to doubt whether his object was to 
cover a treacherous purpose, or to intimate that he 
desired to distinguish himself from others who were 
hostile to us, and whose inimical designs he could 
disclose. Petersen, who had not previously given 
much attention to him, now endeavored to elicit 
from him whatever information be was disposed to 
impart ; and thus we obtained the statement that 
himself and his brother Amalatok (with whom the 
reader has already been made acquainted on page 
104), were the only persons in the whole tribe 
who were not hostile to us. No circumstance of 



THE WITCH-WIFE. 243 

this communication surprised us as much as, that 
an Esquimau should be the bearer of it. 

To enable the reader to see more of the workings 
of the uncivilized people with whom we were in 
contact, I will give briefly a part of what we learned 
from Kingiktok. 

The wife of his brother Amalatok is believed by 
the tribe to be a witch, a reputation which is not 
belied by her looks. What has caused this stigma 
upon her, Kingiktok refused to tell ; but he said that 
she had been condemned to death, and that Sip-su 
had declared himself her executioner. 

The style of execution in vogue, is not more cred- 
itable to the tribe than it is comfortable for the 
victim. The executioner awaits an opportunity, 
creeps behind a lump of ice, and plants his harpoon 
in the back of the condemned, when the latter is 
least expecting it. The prospect of such a fate for 
Mrs. Amalatok, added to the reproach cast upon her, 
had naturally aroused the watchfulness and vindic- 
tiveness of her lord and his brother, who were not 
altogether without courage. Their national habits 
had trained them to the .vigilance and readiness 
needful to such an exigence. Feuds are apparently, 
in many cases, not only irreconcilable between the 
original parties, but hereditary. Forgiveness of in- 
juries is certainly not a virtue which stands very 
high in their estimation ; and thus it happens that 
the lying in wait for an adversary is a long estab- 
lished practice, upon which the settlement of private 
quarrels must often depend. Unfortunately for 
Amalatok and his brother, and for the witch-wife, 
who watches for herself as closely as she is watched, 



244 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Sip-su carries with him the voices of the greater 
number of his tribe; and, consequently, the broth- 
ers never venture to sleep in the villages ; though 
visits are interchanged with the inhabitants, who do 
not hesitate to call at the hut of Amalatok on their 
way to the outer hunting-grounds. On all such 
occasions the parties are ' very civil to each other, 
and the visitors are hospitably feasted. 

An Esquimau seems to have a repugnance to 
killing even an enemy, unless he can do it by stealth. 
I have often been amazed that these men should 
have the courage to attack, with their slender har- 
poons, the huge and fierce polar bear ; and yet that, 
according to their standard, Amalatok and Sip-su, 
who feared to meet each other in open fight, but 
sought every day to take a mean advantage of each 
other, were far from being cowards. 

The feud with Sip-su unlocked the speech of 
Kingiktok, who told us that, from the beginning, the 
former had done all that he could to persuade the 
tribe that the white men were unable to catch the 
bear, the walrus, and the seal ; and that, if left to 
their fate, they must die ; in which case the tribe 
would get all their wood and iron. This view of 
the case was for a time opposed by Kalutunah, who 
insisted that the white men could kill anything with 
their auleit (guns) or boom, as they more commonly 
called our weapons, in imitation of the sound made 
by their discharge. The public judgment, however, 
sided with Sip-su ; and, accordingly, the Esquimaux 
waited and waited, and were surprised upon visiting 
our hut, to find us alive. They grew impatient ; but 
their jealousies interfered in our behalf. When Ka- 



THE KIVALS. 245 

lutunah returned from us with a new harpoon, a 
whipstock and a knife, and some needles for his 
wife, domestic rivalry stimulated the visits of others 
of the village. Provisions came to us, and prizes 
were carried off. Kalutunah himself was deter- 
mined not to be outdone, as he plumed himself not 
only upon his reputation as a hunter, but also upon 
his equipment which, in fact, was the best we had 
seen. Thus- this rivalry fed us. 

Sip-su continued to abstain from this compe- 
tition, until his wife, envious of her neighbors, left 
him no alternative but domestic rupture ; to avoid 
which he condescended to make a visit to us. He 
brought, however, only a trifling supply, for which 
he demanded a large price ; and as we could make 
no distinctions without disturbing our standards of 
trade, he carried home with him only a single needle 
and a very small piece of wood. He had yielded his 
principle and his dignity, and had gained no thanks 
from his wife. It is not to be supposed that his pre- 
vious inclinations respecting us were rendered more 
amiable. 

When Petersen fell into the hands of the Esqui- 
maux, Kalutunah w^ent to inform his rival, Sip-su, 
who lived near Cape Robertson, at Karsooit, which 
was fifty miles away. It was this journey which 
occasioned the delay already mentioned. In the 
mean time, the news was spread by other hunters, 
and there was a general assemblage of the people. 
A plan was arranged substantially, as recorded in a 
previous chapter ; but Sip-su was timid in the pres- 
ence of the magical " auleit ; " and he deferred the 
execution of his design, until it was frustrated by the 

21 * 



246 AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

awakened suspicions of our comrades. Incensed at 
their escape, the disappointed savage led the pursuit, 
with the hope of setting the dogs upon them ; but 
again his courage failed at the critical moment. 

With every allowance due to the inventions and 
exaggerations of an enemy, we found this narrative 
too nearly in accordance with the results of Peter- 
sen's observations to admit of our doubting its sub- 
stantial truth. 

From Kalutunah we had received numerous ben- 
efits and manifestations of friendliness ; and it is on 
that account gratifying to know that when he con- 
curred with others for our destruction, he yielded only 
to what was to him extraordinary temptation. He 
was young in authority ; the majority of his people 
were against him ; his rival had the popular side ; 
and it might even have seemed a duty to secure to 
the tribe, at what he was accustomed to regard as a 
trifling price, the vast treasure of wood, iron, and 
needles possessed by strangers of another race, be- 
tween whom and himself there was no formally 
recognized tie but that of interest. 

The time, we hope, is not very remote, when, 
through the fraternal aid of Christian men, he and his 
benighted kindred shall learn not only to encourage . 
the feeble virtues which they now possess, but also 
to resist successfully the promptings of those savage 
passions of which we had so perilous a demonstra- 
tion. Perhaps in the diplomacy and the wars of 
civilized people, there may be found motives for 
looking charitably upon the wrong-doings of the 
ignorant and undisciplined Esquimaux. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



GOOD CHEER. 



KiNGiKTOK left US early the following morning ; 
and in the evening eleven other members of the tribe 
came up from Akbat, on their way to Netlik. This 
was the most lively as well as the largest party that 
had yet visited us. Kalutunah was one of the num- 
ber, and was as good-natured and voluble as usual. 
He brought to us the quarter of a young bear, and 
received in payment one of Petersen's hoop-iron 
knives ; but the shrewd fellow had learned to distin- 
guish iron from steel ; and he did not seem to prize 
his present very highly. He had before seen one of 
this kind of knives ; and, having used it in trying to 
chip off some kernels from a piece of frozen liver, he 
had bent the instrument double. He at once sus- 
pected the quality of our gift. He tried to cut with 
it, but the result was not satisfactory. He then de- 
liberately bent it in the form of a letter U ; and, 
throwing it on the ground, he pronounced it, with a 
characteristic grunt of indignation, " no good." He 
was contented when we gave him a piece of wood 
with which to patch his sledge. 

The bear's leg, which we thus added to our stores, 
was Kalutunah's share of a hunt from which the 



248 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

people of Akbat had returned the day before. Kalu- 
tunah was a guest on the occasion, and, as such, was 
entitled, by Esquimau rule, to the choice of pieces 
when the animal was caught. 

Our visitors were four men, three women, and four 
children. Two of the women were the two widows 
who have previously figured in this narrative. Each 
of them was accompanied by a child, — one of whom 
was about four, and the other about three years old. 
The latter belonged to the sentimental widow ; and 
its name, being interpreted, signifies " a mother's 
only child." The mother's fondness for this stay of 
her old age, was quite touching ; but it took much 
from the poetry of the scene when we saw her strip 
off its furs and turn it loose to root among our bed- 
ding, with the accumulated blubber and soot of three 
years sticking to its skin. 

One of the hunters had with him his wife and two 
children. He was " moving ; " and he carried all of 
his domestic utensils, together with his entire family, 
upon his sledge. The utensils were not very compli- 
cated. He was going to Netlik, where he intended 
temporarily to quarter in Kalutunah's hut, if he 
should find room there ; and, if not, in a snow-house. 
One of his children was a girl three or four years of 
age, the other a boy of about seven. He informed 
us that one had died not long before, of a disease 
which, from his description, I judged to be pneumo- 
nia, — a very common and very fatal complaint 
among the Esquimaux in the spring and autumn. 

Our hut was very much crowded, there being nine- 
teen persons within it ; but we made it a point never 
to turn strangers away from our door. Kalutunah 



HIGH TEMPERATURE. 249 

said, on his arrival, that his party could build a 
snow-hut and sleep in it; but this we would not 
permit them to do. 

Two Esquimau lamps were burning cheerily all 
the evening ; two Esquimau pots hung over them, 
suspended each from a rafter, and sent up wreaths 
of warm steam ; and our own lamp was for two 
hours in full blast in the fireplace. These together 
made much heat; and, added to this, we had the 
warmth given off by our nineteen bodies. The re- 
sult was to elevate the temperature from 29° to 60°. 
The hut was warmer than it had ever been before ; 
but it was, altogether, less pleasant than when the 
temperature was below the freezing-point. When 
the thermometer stood at 28°, we were most com- 
fortable. We had grown so used to low tempera- 
tures that 60° was much too Warm for us ; but this 
was, in itself, a comparatively trifling, discomfort. 
The air had become very impure. We had no ven- 
tilation except through our small, chimney, which, 
although sufficient to purify the atmosphere on ordi- 
nary occasions, was now quite inadequate for that 
purpose. To make matters worse there was a gen- 
eral thaw. The frost overhead melted, and, after 
hanging in long rows of soot-stained beads on the 
under side of the rafters, fell, drop by drop, into our 
faces and upon our clothing. A clammy sweat cov- 
ered the walls, and here and there trickled to the 
ground in spasmodic streamlets. We ought to have 
called the place Fort Misery, — for it was a miser- 
able place at the best of times. 

At eight o'clock in the evening the interior of 
our hut presented an unusually cheerful scene. 



250 * AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

We were in the midst of a plentiful feast; this 
time not at our expense, — at least, not at the 
expense of our provision stores. Kalutunah had 
brought in a huge chunk of walrus-meat — a flip- 
per weighing in the neighborhood of fifty pounds. 
It was frozen hard, and was covered with snow. 
He threw it on the floor in the middle of the hut ; 
and, around it, were soon grouped the inmates. 
On the edge of the brecks two women had in- 
stalled themselves,— one on each side of the door. 
These were w^atching their lamps and kettles. By 
the side of each lay a cake of frozen snow; from 
which, from time to time, for the last hour, she 
had been breaking off pieces and depositing them 
in her kettle, — melting them into w^ater for her 
people to drink. Having satisfied their thirst, she 
then attempted to heat the portion which re- 
mained. This she could not boil by the feeble 
flame of her lamp, but she had its temperature, in 
a little while, elevated to about 190°, which would 
answer to cook with. The hunters splintered off, 
with our hatchet, some pieces of meat, and passed 
them to the women, through whose management 
they were soon stewing finely, and smelling lus- 
ciously. Kalutunah was very fond of soup ; and 
the sentimental widow was doing her best to 
gratify his taste. The woman w^ho attended to 
the other pot was in like manner serving her lord 
who sat near her. 

If the reader will follow me into the hut he will 
see there a succession of tableaux which may be 
novel to him. The two above-mentioned hunters 
sit facing each other, and facing the lump of frozen 



A FEAST. 251 

beef, which lies upon the ground. Kalutunah has 
the sentimental widow at his left, and the other 
hunter has his wife at his right. Godfrey kneels 
in front of the fireplace, attending to our lamps, 
which burn there. He is cooking some coffee, and 
frying some steaks of bear-ham. The hum of the 
kettle and the crackle of the blubber in the pan 
are cheerful sounds. Petersen sits in his corner by 
the stove. He looks very demure ; and, although 
he talks nearly all the time, it is easy to see that 
he is doing it against his will, and that he would 
much prefer to be quiet. The Esquimaux are 
continually asking questions, and he has to an- 
swer for all of us; and since he has found that 
the Esquimaux will not sell us any dogs, nor go 
to the ship, nor hire their teams to us for that 
purpose, he is not inclined to be communicative 
with them. The children are crawling about over 
the brecks ; the rest of us are mixed up indis- 
criminately, white men and red men ; some sitting 
on the edge of the breck ; some lying at full length 
upon it ; all leisurely eating ; — leisurely, I say, for 
the meat is so icy that it is chipped off with diffi- 
culty, and we obtain it only in little crisp pieces 
which make the teeth fairly ache with cold. The 
writer of this sits behind Kalutunah, from whom 
he receives alternate mouthfuls. 

An hour later and the soup has been drunk ; 
the coffee has passed around ; the stew and the 
fry have disappeared; but the feast is far from 
ended. Scarcely an impression has yet been made 
upon the walrus flipper ; but the warmth of the 
hut has partially thawed it, and the knives pene- 



252 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

trate it more readily, and strips can be cut off. 
These now fly about in all directions. Everybody 
has one. The strip may be three inches, or it 
may be a foot in length; its width two inches, 
and its thickness one inch. The feeder takes one 
end of it in his mouth, and seizing, between his 
teeth, a convenient portion, he cuts it off close to 
his lips, and then swallows it as quickly as possi- 
ble, and repeats the process. Having taken two or 
three bites of meat he then takes one of blubber. 
The red men have taught the white men how to 
flourish the knife, and what is the proper motion 
to insure safety to the lips. The walrus-meat is 
very juicy, and is also very dark. The faces and 
hands of all of us are covered with blood ; and 
but for the beards on the faces of some of us, it 
would be difficult to distinguish the civilized men 
from the savages. The children have each a strip 
of beef and blubber, and are disposing of these 
equally with the best of us. The seven-year-old 
stands with his back against the post, straddling 
across one corner of the flipper, rapidly shortening 
a slice which his father has given him. His body 
is naked to the waist, as indeed are the bodies of 
all our guests. His face and his hands are red 
with the thick fluid which he squeezes from the 
spongy meat, and which streams down his arms, 
and drops from his chin upon his distended abdo- 
men, over the hemispherical surface of which it 
courses, leaving crimson stains behind. 

Still an hour later and there is nothing left 
upon the floor but a well-picked bone ; and we 
have wiped our hands with the bird-skins which 



LEARNING TO COUNT. 253 

the widow has torn from the lumme of which 
she has made her supper. As usual, she had her 
feast alone ; and with little assistance she has con- 
sumed six birds, each as large as a young pullet. 

We have now established the most friendly rela- 
tions. When does not good cheer make good spir- 
its ? Mr. Sonntag sits behind me ; and, true to 
his profession, is questioning one of the hunters 
about their astronomy. Godfrey is amusing the 
women and children with a negro song, keeping 
time with an imaginary banjo. I am seated be- 
side Kalutunah, and we are teaching each otHer 
scraps of our widely different languages. Bonsall 
is at my side, looking on, and helping. I try to 
get the savage to articulate yes and no, and to 
teach him of what Esquimau words they are equiv- 
alents. He pronounces "ees" and " noe," after 
several efforts, and says, inquiringly, " tyma ? " 
(right ?). I nod my head and say " tyma," to en- 
courage him ; whereupon he laughs heartily at my 
bad pronunciation of his word. 

We make an effort to count. He gets " une " for 
ONE, and an immensely hard " too " for .two ; but 
he cannot manage the th^ of three. In return he 
teaches me to count in his language. I cannot quite 
pronounce as he does ; but he pats me on the back 
in a very encouraging manner, as much as to say 
" well done," and repeats " tyma " to me over and 
over again. We go on through the series with 
much laughing and many tymas ; with thumps on 
my back from him, and from me reproachful punches 
in his ribs, and encouraging twitches of his left ear ; 
until, at length, we have reached ten. His people 

22 



254 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

do not count further, and Petersen tells me that any 
number beyond ten, whether much or little, is called 
by a general name. 

Sonntag's investigations in astronomy show some 
curious results. He and Petersen have been asking 
questions about the sun, moon, and stars. It appears 
that these heavenly bodies are spirits of de.parted 
Esquimaux, or of some of the lower animals. The 
sun and moon are brother and sister. The story of 
their origin is this : — 

In a distant country there once lived an unmarried 
woman who had several brothers. Being once at a 
festive gathering, she felt herself suddenly and vio- 
lently seized by the shoulders. This she weU knew 
was a declaration of love, for such is the custom of 
her people ; but, who the man was she could not dis- 
cover, since the hut was quite dark. There being to 
her knowledge no men in the village, beside her 
brothers, she at once suspected that it must be one 
of these. She broke from him, and, running away, 
smeared her hand with soot and oil. Upon return- 
ing to the hut she was seized again, and this time 
she blackened one side of the face of her unknown 
lover. A lighted taper being brought soon afterward, 
her suspicions were confirmed. She then cut off her 
breasts, and, throwing them at him, exclaimed " if 
thou holdest rightly eat that." Seizing the taper she 
now ran out of the hut, and bounded over the rocks 
with the fleetness of a deer. Her brother lighted 
a taper and pursued her, but his light soon went 
out, yet he still continued the chase, and, without 
having overtaken her, they came to the end of the 
earth. Determined not to be caught, the girl then 



ASTRONOMICAL FABLES. 255 

sprang out into the heavens. Her brother followed 
her ; but he stumbled while in the act of springing, 
andj before he could recover himself, the object of 
his pursuit was far away from him. Still bent upon 
gaining the prize, he continued the race ; and, from 
that time until this, the sun has been going around 
and around, and the moon around and around after 
her trying still to catch her. The bright light of the 
sun is caused by the taper which the maiden carries ; 
while the moon, having lost his taper, is cold, and 
could not be seen but for his sister's light. One side 
of his face, being smeared with soot, is therefore 
black, while the other side is clean ; and he turns 
one side or the other towards the earth as suits his 
pleasure. 

That cluster of stars in " Ursa Major," which we 
designate as " the dipper," they call a herd of " took- 
took^'' (reindeer). The stars of " Orion's belt," seen 
far away in the south, are seal-hunters who have lost 
their way. The "Pleiades" are a pack of dogs in 
pursuit of a bear. Other clusters and other stars 
have other names. The aurora borealis is caused by 
the spirits at play with one another. Rain is the 
overflowing of the heavenly lakes on the ever-green 
banks of which live the happy spirits who have taken 
up their abode in the skies, where sunshine and sum- 
mer are eternal. These happy spirits have abun- 
dance to eat without the trouble of catching it. 

The Esquimaux are close observers of the move- 
ments of the stars. We went out toward midnight 
to look after the dogs, and Petersen asked Kalutunah 
when his party intended to go. He pointed to a star 
which stood almost directly over Saunders Island, in 



256 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

the south ; and, carrying his finger aroupd to the 
west, he pointed to another star, saying, " when that 
star gets where that one is we will start." 

Our guests being tired, we fitted up for them such 
accommodations as were within our power, and they 
were soon asleep. With so many to provide for we 
were obliged to remit somewhat of our fastidious- 
ness ; yet we would not allow them to touch the in- 
side of our blankets; nor could we lie down with 
them ; and we therefore passed the night awake, 
solaced by an extra cup of coffee, and a fresh supply 
from Bonsall's tobacco-box. Refreshed by our recent 
meal, and encouraged by the sight of materials upon 
the shelf for a dozen more, we experienced new life 
and resolution. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



FURTHER PLANS. 



I TAKE up the narrative again on the 16th of No- 
vember. Two eventless days have passed since the 
Esquimaux left us. We have in the interval grown 
much stronger. Oar daily ration per man has been 
about two pounds. This has not been sufficient to 
satisfy our appetites, which have craved vegetable 
food ; but it is ample to sustain us in health, and to 
slowly recuperate our lost energies. 

The absence of all vegetable food is a source of 
suffering to us which can hardly be appreciated by 
those who have not had a somewhat similar experi- 
ence. Our stomachs, hitherto used to a more bulky 
diet, do not readily become accustomed to the new 
order of things ; so that, while eating enough for 
health and strength, we are always hungry. 

The natives live upon an exclusively animal diet ; 
but they consume it in larger quantities than could 
be afforded by us. Their daily allowance of food I 
should estimate at from twelve to fifteen pounds ; 
about one third of it being fat, — the blubber mainly 
of the walrus, the seal, and the narwhal. In times of 
plenty, they eat more than that quantity ; in times 
of scarcity, less. Being exceedingly improvident, 

22* 



258 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

and having rarely stores reserved sufficient to sup- 
ply them during two weeks, they are often in want. 
At such times, however, it must be conceded that 
they exhibit a commendable spirit of cheerfulness 
and philosophical resignation ; and when they are 
again successful in the hunt, they make up for lost 
time by a series of stupefying feasts. I have seen 
an Esquimau, upon returning from a long and ex- 
posed hunt, or when about to commence a difficult 
journey, eat at a single meal, prolonged through 
several hours, fully ten pounds of walrus-flesh and 
blubber. 

It is in his generally large consumption of food 
that the Esquimau hunter finds his shield against 
the cold. I do not believe that he could live upon a 
vegetable diet. Taste, with the pleasures which it 
brings, has very little to do w^ith his meal; and he 
takes food through his capacious jaws with much 
the same passiveness as that of a locomotive when, 
receiving coal from the shovel of a fireman ; and the 
cases are parallel. In the latter, the carbonaceous 
coal is burned up in the furnace to make heat, to 
make steam to start the wheels. In the former, the 
carbonaceous blubber and flesh are burned up in 
the lungs to make heat, to make steam, to start the 
hunt. Feed the locomotive on willow-twigs, and on 
a frosty morning it wiU be very likely to cease its 
operations ; feed the Esquimau hunter on wheat 
bread or maccaroni, and he will quickly freeze to 
death. 

The same laws govern the Esquimaux and the 
white men ; and exposed as we were to tempera- 
tures so low, living chiefly in an atmosphere vary- 



ANIMAL FOOD. 259 

ing from zero to the freezing-point, and subjected 
during a part of the day to a temperature ranging 
from zero to sixty degrees below it, we found our- 
selves continually craving a strong animal diet, and 
especially fatty substances. The blubber of the wal- 
rus, the seal, and the narwhal was always grateful to 
us ; and in its frozen condition it was far from un- 
pleasant to the taste. I have frequently seen mem- 
bers of the party drink the contents of our oil-kettle 
with evident relish. One of our number was es- 
pecially notorious for his depredations in this quar- 
ter ; and, as the manufacture of oil from blubber 
was attended with the consumption of an amount 
of fuel which we could ill spare, we were compelled 
to pass a formal vote, guarding the oil-kettle by ex- 
cluding it from the cuisine. 

At the time of which I write we were all in good 
health, except Stephenson ; and his troubles were 
not immediately caused by our mode of life, although 
they were greatly aggravated thereby. I have ex- 
plained in a former chapter that his disease, which 
was a functional derangement of the heart, (peri- 
cardial effusion,) was originally the result of re- 
peated attacks of scurvy, from which he suffered 
while on board the Advance. Although the cause 
was entirely removed, the return of its unpleasant 
consequences was from time to time threatened ; 
sometimes with fearful results. The remaining 
members of the party had all, like him, been more 
or less affected by the scurvy while on shipboard ; 
but every trace of the disease had by this time dis- 
appeared from our systems, and we were in as good 
condition as men could well be who were living so 



280 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

irregularly ; subsisting upon a diet varying so much 
from week to week and from day to day in quantity 
and quality. 

In view of this fact, I think T hazard nothing in 
saying, that probably no climate in the world has 
less tendency to develop scurvy than that of the 
Arctic regions, provided that the proper kind of 
food is used by the residents in it. This food must 
be chiefly animal, largely fat, abundant in quantity, 
and mainly free from salt. The Esquimaux are ex- 
empt from the disease, although they disregard all 
of our ordinary hygienic laws ; and I am satisfied 
that, with our present knowledge and experience, 
scurvy need not be the formidable scourge which it 
was in former times, — if, indeed, it need be known 
at all on' board of vessels wintering in the Arctic 
seas. Altogether the climate is one of remarkable 
healthfulness ; for, were it otherwise, living as we 
did in our close hut, we must have been attacked 
by disease. 

Our newly acquired physical energies fitted us 
for again attempting something, either for the suc- 
cess of our southern scheme, or for our deliverance. 
Petersen again proposed to renew the attempt to go 
to the ship, provided that we could obtain a team of 
dogs. His plan was, to start when the moon should 
have returned, and, avoiding Netlik, go directly to 
Northumberland Island, where there was reason to 
believe Kingiktok or Amalatok would join him ; 
thence proceeding northward, with all dispatch, he 
would reach the Advance, and return before the moon 
should have set. He would need one companion, and 
would go well armed ; and he thought that he could 



ESQUIMAU BEARDS. 261 

make the journey to and fro in twelve days. His 
proposition was favorably received, and BonsalPs 
offer to accompany him was accepted. There were 
several reasons to make this satisfactory; the most 
prominent being the facts that he was, Petersen per- 
haps excepted, the most hardy man of the party ; 
and that, to as great a degree as any member of 
it, he possessed those necessary qualities for such an 
emergency, — courage, caution, and energy. 

An old man whom we had not before seen, arrived 
the next day, from one of the settlements far up 
Whale Sound. He brought us a small addition to 
our store of provisions ; and he received from us 
some presents. He had been hunting bears, and 
had a long story to tell, which he did with the usual 
accompaniment of violent gesticulation, about his 
having followed the track of a Nanooksoak (large 
bear) down into Booth Bay, where he lost it on ac- 
count of the darkness. He asked to be allowed to 
remain until it grew lighter, when he would continue 
the pursuit. The request was of course granted ; and, 
having given him a supper, which, as to quantity, is 
best described by saying that it was an Esquimau 
one, we put him to bed. 

This man was the only member of the tribe that 1 
had seen who possessed what could properly be called 
a beard. He had upon his chin and upper lip a re- 
spectable growth of hairs, which were silvered with 
age. They probably did not show themselves until 
long after the man had an-ived at years of maturity ; 
for the faces of the young men, and indeed of the 
greater number of the middle-aged who visited us, 
were as innocent of beard as a woman's. 



262 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Shunghu (for such was the name of our visit- 
or) had scarcely fallen asleep, when there was an- 
other arrival — a man, a woman, and a child. The 
man called himself " Tattarat," ( Kitty wake-gull ;) he 
came from Imnanak (Cape York), and was moving 
northward with his family. He told us that the 
people of Akbat, and the only family besides his 
own then living at his settlement, were preparing to 
do likewise. This was in consequence of the failure 
of the southern hunting-grounds. The sea to the 
westward of Cape York was completely closed ; and 
the unusual severity of the season was likely to render 
a residence south of Netlik, during the winter, ex- 
tremely hazardous. They had not, for many years, 
known such a winter. It had set in a " half-moon " 
earlier than usual. This report confirmed our own 
conclusions, and our residence at Booth Bay was 
clearly the result of this freak of nature. Had the 
season remained open two weeks longer, we should, 
in all probability, have reached Upernavik ! 

The favorite hunting-grounds of the Esquimaux 
of this coast, are about Cape Alexander ; at which 
place, and immediately south, southwest, and west 
of it, the sea is always more or less free from ice. 
When the distance from their permanent residences, 
such as Netlik, Akbat, &c., to this water, becomes 
inconveniently gTcat, in consequence of the grad- 
ual widening of the land-belt, they move up toward 
this cape, and camp in snow-houses, which they 
build at some eligible spot upon the land, or upon 
the ice, within a few hours travel of the usual resorts 
of game. It does not often happen that they are 
compelled to do this ; although for the sake of the 



PURCHASE OF DOGS. 263 

interchange of friendly greetings, the inhabitants of 
the southern settlements generally move northward 
for a short portion of the winter season. They re- 
turn before the ice breaks up, and while they can 
still travel. 

This early moving up from Cape York looked 
unpromising for us, and the knowledge of the fact 
did much to shake our faith in the practicability of 
our resolution to go thither. 

Our visitors remained with us through the night ; 
and, at eight o'clock next morning, at which time 
there was a little increase of light, they went out in 
search of the bear whose tracks Shunghu had discov- 
ered the evening before. They returned, unsuccess- 
ful, after an absence of about two hours. A light 
wind had covered the tracks with drift. 

We now made a proposal for the purchase of 
dogs; but for a time we despaired of having bet- 
ter fortune than on former occasions. At length, 
the exhibition of an old harpoon and BonsalPs shin- 
ing hunting-knife was effective, and the hunters 
promptly offered, each, two dogs. Tattarat received 
the harpoon, and Shunghu the knife, and both par- 
ties were well pleased with the bargain. Tattarat 
would have sold us another animal, but he had only 
four left, and had a heavily laden sledge to drag to 
Netlik. Shunghu also would have disposed of two 
more, but the remainder of the team belonged to 
his son, and he could not part with any of them 
without first consulting the boy. Our visitors left 
us at noon. 

The history of the next few days will have little 
interest for the reader, except as it points to our 



264 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

future plans and proceedings, and I therefore resort 
again to the more condensed diary form. 

November Vdth, A southerly gale kept us within 
doors this day. The wind was accompanied by 
light squalls of snow and heavy drift. The outside 
temperature reached as high as twelve degrees below 
zero; and a sensible effect was soon produced upon 
the atmosphere of the hut. 

Petersen commenced the manufacture of a sledge 
for his contemplated journey ; such of us as could, 
helping him. 

The dogs did not seem to be satisfied with their 
change of quarters. They were howling piteously 
all day, and trying to break loose. We fed them on 
walrus-hide. 

November 20th. The sledge was nearly finished 
this evening. The runners were made of the 
thwarts of the Hope, and the cross-pieces of wood 
from the same source. There remains only to put 
soles on the runners, and to lash the whole together. 
This last is the work of an hour, and is not required 
immediately. The soles involve greater difficulty ; 
we have nothing suitable for them. Hoop-iron and 
a piece of moderately hard wood are all that can be 
made available. 

We are again getting short of provisions, and 
look anxiously for the Esquimaux. 

November 21st Breakfasted on our last piece 
of walrus-beef. Petersen brought from the traps a 
fox which served us for supper. This was a piece 



SCANTY FOOD. 265 

of unlooked-for good fortune, for we had given up 
all hope of getting anything from that source. Ste- 
phenson, who has been cheered and comforted by 
our tea, received to-day the last of it. 

November 22d. Light snow and a southerly 
wind. The thermometer stands outside of the 
hut at zero, and inside of it at 40°. The tem- 
perature has been gradually rising during the past 
three days. 

Toward evening it began to snow violently, and 
soon afterward a furious gale howled across the ice- 
fields. The wind brought in an unusually high flood- 
tide, which, together with the increased warmth, in- 
dicate the existence of a large body of open water 
not far away. 

"We had for breakfast this day one bird, which 
was cut into four pieces. The half of one of these 
would scarcely give a mouthful to each person, so 
we tossed up for the quarters. The unlucky four 
contented themselves with their coffee. Another un- 
expected fox furnished us a supper. 

November 2Sd. Breakfasted this morning on 
a soup made of some rejected bones. Afterward 
the traps were visited, but there was no fox to- 
day. 

The snow was knee-deep over the plain, and 
the traps were filled with drift. It was a tedious 
task to put them in order again. This cold work 
gave us an appetite to attack a piece of spoiled 
meat, which some cunning savage had palmed 
upon us for fresh. Being frozen, its condition did 

23 



266 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

not affect our olfactories ; and its bad taste was par- 
tially destroyed by some citric acid, a small vial of 
which I had brought with me, to use, if occasion re- 
quired, as an antiscorbutic. 

November 24:th. Breakfasted on a cup of coffee. 
Later in the day we boiled together some blubber 
and stone-moss, which made us all sick. 

In the afternoon two Esquimau hunters arrived 
from Akbat. We bought of them three birds, upon 
which we supped. They had nothing else upon 
their sleds. They would not sell any dogs, and 
they remained but a short time. One of them said 
that he had a sledge at home which he would gladly 
trade for ours, and promised to return with it the 
following day ; but we have become so well accus- 
tomed to Esquimau promises that we have very 
little faith in them. 

Petersen shod, with some strips of hard wood, the 
runners which he had made. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

PREPARATIONS FOR ABANDONING THE HUT. 

The reader will fail to appreciate the events 
which have been narrated, and the apparently- 
shifting purposes of our party, unless he recalls 
from time to time the motives and circumstances 
which were explained in the opening chapter of 
this history. After jfull deliberation, and with the 
advice of the person most experienced in arctic ice, 
we had set out in the belief that the separation 
of the brig's company was important to the pres- 
ervation of its members. To secure the main ob- 
ject of our journey we had constantly striven ; and 
our hope was not suffered to relax while there 
remained apparent the slightest possibility of its 
accomplishment. When forced to think of replen- 
ishing our stores from the brig, in which there was 
abundance of salt food for her entire company, we 
still avoided a re-union of the parties, trusting to 
our ability to complete the execution of our princi- 
pal design. It was no time for judgment upon the 
abstract prudence of such ventures as we were mak- 
ing. Our undertaking was, from its first step, con- 
fessedly a desperate one, the result of desperate 
circumstances ; and it must be prosecuted while 



268 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY, 

we could flatter ourselves with the least ray of 
promise on the side of its ultimate success. We 
promoted every favorable suggestion, keeping up 
our spirits by mutual encouragement, until perse- 
verance ceased to be justifiable. 

During the progress of Petersen's labors upon 
the sledge, we reviewed our means of judgment ; 
and endeavoring of course to avoid the extreme 
of rashness, we estimated anew the force of the 
various considerations proper to our situation. We 
were entirely out of food, and the movements of 
the Esquimaux warned us of harder times coming. 
When we arranged our plans for going to Cape 
York, we had relied for assistance upon the natives 
at that place ; but they had now all gone away, or 
were about to go. The conclusion was forced upon 
us, that we could not winter at Booth Bay ; and 
this last resort failing, we were compelled to accept 
the consequence, that our ultimate object was hope- 
less. A return to the brig upon one side — inevi- 
table death upon the other — were now, beyond 
all question, the only alternatives. 

The return to our comrades at Rensselaer Har- 
bor was first proposed while we were picking 
bones for breakfast on the 23d ; and the wisdom 
of that proposal was confirmed in our minds next 
morning, when it was discussed over our coffee, 
and moss and blubber soup. 

Our plan was to set out as soon as the moon 
should give light enough to guide us on the way, 
it being now almost as dark at noon-day as at 
midnight. We would obtain two more dogs, thus 
completing a team of six, which it was thought 



INSUFFICIENT CLOTHING. 269 

would readily drag our sledge lade'n with the very 
trifling cargo required, and with Stephenson who 
was unable to walk. We would make directly 
for Northumberland Island, stopping once on the 
way and camping in a snow-house. For each per- 
son, therefore, a pair of blankets would be needed. 

This plan was of course to take precedence of 
that previously arranged, by which Petersen and 
Bon sail were to be the principal actors ; but, like 
that, its execution was dependent upon the Esqui- 
maux. We could do nothing without more dogs. 

Preparations for departure were immediately com- 
menced. That all of us would live to reach Rens- 
selaer Harbor seemed highly improbable ; yet there 
was some comfort in looking forward to a strug- 
gle which would relieve us from our present uncer- 
tainty, and speedily decide our fortunes. 

Our real wants were many ; but it is scarcely 
necessary to say that these could be only meagrely 
supplied. Our clothing was wholly insufficient for 
such a journey as was contemplated. Only three 
of our number possessed complete suits of fur. 
Each of us had, fortunately, a coat or " Jumper " 
as we called it, (the Esquimau hooded Kapetak,) 
of seal or reindeer-pelts ; and three of us had 
pantaloons of the same material; but the panta- 
loons of the other five were of cloth or canvas, 
now well worn. Only skin clothing is adequate 
to resist the intense cold and piercing winds of 
the arctic deserts. 

We had no effective resource but our buffalo 
robes. It will be remembered by the reader that 
when we first took up our quarters in the hut, these 



270 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

were spread upon the " brecks ; " and there they 
had remained ever since. For nearly two months 
they had served as a thin pad to cover the stones 
and gravel on which we slept. To these they were 
found to be in places tightly frozen ; and their 
edges were glued by ice to the walls, so that it 
was not without some difficulty that they were 
removed. We were obliged to cut away several 
kettles full of ice before they would let go their 
hold upon the stones. This ice was formed by the 
vapor which had been condensed upon the walls, 
and which, melting from time to time as the tem- 
perature of the hut became elevated, trickled down 
to a lower and colder level where it was again 
frozen. A large lump had thus accumulated close 
behind Mr. Bonsall, and one corner of his blanket 
had become imbedded in it. We called it by way 
of distinction, " Bonsall's glacier." We had also 
a " Petersen's glacier," and a " John's glacier." 
Petersen's was at his feet, and John's was at his 
head. 

When taken up, the robes were found to be coat- 
ed on the under-side with frost, in consequence of 
which many pebbles adhered to them. It was, 
therefore, necessary to suspend them from the raf- 
ters for a few hours before they were in a suitable 
condition to be worked upon. 

We slept now with two thicknesses of blanket 
between our bodies and the stones and pebbles, and 
we were not much benefited or refreshed thereby. 

The " buffaloes " being partially dried, we com- 
menced bur tailoring operations on the twenty-fifth, 
after a breakfast of strong coffee. John was master- 



TAILORING. 271 

workman. The skins were spread over a breck, and 
he cut out the garments after a style peculiarly his 
own, — a mixture of the fashions which prevail at 
Paris and at Netlik. The pieces as they were cut 
out were taken by different members of the party, 
and we were all soon engaged, with "palm and 
needle," sewing up the seams of stockings, panta- 
loons, and mittens. It was cold work, but we 
should not so much have minded this had we not 
been gnawed by a merciless hunger. 

Three of the party whose education in this de- 
partment of useful art had been sadly neglected, 
were put under the tutorage of Petersen. One of 
these got on well enough, for he had had a little 
previous experience ; but the two others had a sorry 
time of it. If their fingers had not been so stiff 
and benumbed they would, doubtless, have succeed- 
ed better ; but, as it was, they could never get the 
awkward "palm" in proper contact with the but- 
end of the needle ; in consequence of which the 
latter frequently slipped from its thimble, and made 
ugly holes in their hands. By common consent, a 
less difficult task was assigned to them, that of 
scorching coffee for the journey. As the browned 
beans were poured out of the saucepan, they were 
ground in a canvas bag by pounding with the 
hatchet. 

As the temperature of our hut was 25°, the sew- 
ers were often obliged to stop in their work, and 
strike their hands upon their backs to maintain the 
requisite degree of suppleness. 

Coffee was now even a greater luxury to us than 
it had been before ; and we drank it from time to 



272 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

time through the day. Fortunately we had plenty 
of it ; and now that we were about to abandon the 
hut, much more than we should need. It had aU 
been well soaked in the sea, and was a little brack- 
ish ; but we had become used to that. It did much 
to supply the place of food ; and, although possess- 
ing no nutritive qualities itself, yet its well-known 
power of arresting the wasting processes of the ani- 
mal economy, aided greatly to support our strength. 
Its stimulating qualities were also useful. Our ex- 
perience at this period convinces me that, to men 
living on short allowance of food, in a cold climate, 
where special stimuli are required, there is nothing 
as valuable as coffee. To arctic travellers, spirits, 
in any form, are in almost every case worse than 
useless ; while coffee is always grateful, and always 
beneficial. 

At the close of our first day's tailoring we supped 
on walrus-hide fried in oil. Before retiring to rest 
Petersen astonished us by producing from his bag a 
" ship's biscuit," which he divided into eight parts, 
giving one to each of us. It was chiefly useful in 
reviving past recollections, and in exhibiting a char- 
acteristic trait of our kind-hearted guide. It soft- 
ened the expression of more than one very long and 
very wrinkled face ; and Petersen was, by acclama- 
tion, voted a " good fellow." The biscuit was the 
half of a daily allowance, in times when such evi- 
dences of civilization were less strange to us than 
now. 

Next morning, for breakfast, we boiled, instead 
of frying, our walrus-hide, and found the process a 
decided gain over the latter method. The skin was 



PURCHASE OF FOOD AND DOGS. 273 

from a half to three quarters of an inch thick, and 
tough beyond conception. To chew it was quite 
impossible ; and in order to eat it we were obliged 
to cut it into thin slices, like chipped beef, and swal- 
low it as we best could. It was heavy food. 

Shortly after the completion of this wretched meal, 
four sledges, with four hunters, five women, and sev- 
en children, arrived from Akbat. The children were 
of all ages and sizes, from the babe at the breast to 
a chattering girl of fourteen years. Our hut was 
more crowded than it had ever been before, there 
being in all twenty-two persons, having five square 
feet to each. We could not all have lain down at 
one time. The annoyance of packing we could 
easily pardon, for we obtained from the party four 
dozens of lumme, a few pieces of dried seal meat, 
and some strips of dried seal intestine imperfectly 
cleansed. Better almost than the food were two 
dogs, which we purchased of the party. We had 
now a team of six. 

These Esquimaux were moving northward. One 
of the hunters was the old man from Cape York, of 
whom Tattarat had spoken ; the others were of 
Akbat, at which place only two families now re- 
mained. They told us that the hunting-grounds at 
the south were closed up ; that fhey were on their 
way first to Netlik; and that thence they would prob- 
ably continue up the coast toward Peteravik, a place 
which we understood from their account to be near 
Cape Alexander. The young hunter who promised 
us the sledge was one of the number ; but he had 
changed his mind. Being afterward further ques- 
tioned, it turned out that he owned no sledge at 



274 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

all, and that even the one which he drove was 
borrowed ! 

Much to our gratification our visitors remained 
only a few hours. The women and children, how- 
ever, took a short nap ; and all partook of a hearty 
meal before setting out on their journey. 

The four hunters came back next day. It was at 
once evident that they were bent on mischief ; for 
they not only attempted every moment to pilfer 
from us, but they seemed glad when they dis- 
covered that they were annoying us. Soon after 
their arrival there came another party from the 
south. These also were moving ; and they entered 
at once into the spirit of mischief which possessed 
their predecessors. Among the last arrivals was a 
very ugly and disagreeable woman whose thieving 
propensities exceeded anything of the sort that we 
had yet seen. Nothing was too small to escape her 
notice ; and upon going down to her sledge when 
her party were about to leave, we found a most 
heterogeneous collection of odds and ends, most of 
which seemed to be of no possible use. Prior to 
this we had missed two of our tin drinking-cups. 
She was charged with the theft ; but she strenu- 
ously denied having taken them, until we threat- 
ened to search Ifer sledge, when she ran off and 
brought them to us ; and, as if for a peace-offer- 
ing she threw at our feet three birds. She had 
evidently, with her woman's instinct, penetrated our 
special weakness. We were always open to bribes 
of that sort. 

The whole party became at length so troublesome 
that we were compelled to drive them away, in order 



DOG STOLEN. 275 

that we might get on with our preparations ; for we 
were losing much valuable time. They did not, how- 
ever, leave us ; but they continued to hover in the 
vicinity. We suspected them of designs upon our 
dogs ; two of which it will be remembered we had 
purchased of them on their former visit. Our first 
four purchases had become reconciled to their new 
quarters ; but the last two seemed to prefer going 
with the teams to which they had belonged. They 
ti;ied hard to break loose ; and this their owners 
seemed to be doing all they could to encourage. 
A watch was accordingly set, and kept up until 
all was quiet ; when our sentry, believing that the 
rogues had gone, came inside. No sooner was he 
within the door than the dogs set up a cry, and in 
an instant footsteps were heard. We rushed out as 
quickly as possible, but not in time to save both of 
the dogs. One of them and his captor were bound- 
ing away. Luckily for the man he was almost im- 
mediately hidden by the rocks ; for Bonsall's English 
rifle was going quickly out at the door-way, and in a 
moment more an ounce ball and the thief would 
have had a race for speed. The Esquimau ideas of 
honesty are of the Spartan order. They never steal 
from one another ; but he is the best fellow who can 
contrive to take most from the pale-faces. 

Everything was ready by the evening of the 28th ; 
but the sky had looked threatening all day, and a 
storm fell upon us a little before midnight, the time 
we had fixed upon for starting. 

The air became calm on the following day ; and, 
as soon as we were satisfied that the storm was 
broken, we began our final preparations. Our equip- 



276 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

ment consisted of eight blankets, our field lamp 
and kettle, two tin drinking-cups, ten days' coffee ra- 
tions, a small bag of blubber, (about eight pounds,) 
and another bag containing two days' food. This 
last was two dozens of birds which had been pre- 
viously boiled, boned, and cut into small pieces. 
These were now frozen into a solid lump. We had 
no more. Our expectation was to reach in two 
days Northumberland Island, and there to obtain 
fresh supplies. 

In consequence of the severity of the cold, the 
sled was lashed together in the hut, and then taken 
out through a hole cut for the purpose in the roof. 
A few minutes sufficed for the packing, and our 
five dogs were then harnessed. Stephenson was 
assisted out of the hut, and down over the rough 
ice-foot to the smooth field, where he took the place 
assigned to him on the top of the cargo. Then slowly 
and silently we moved away from the scene of so 
many days of weary waiting, suffering, and disap- 
pointment. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



DARKNESS AHEAD I 



Our movements were like those of men returning 
from a long journey rather than beginning one. 
The insufficient food upon which we had been sub- 
sisting during the last few days, had so much 
reduced us that, at the end of the first hour, many 
of us were more fatigued than we had been, on for- 
mer occasions of similar labor, at the end of a day. 
Our progress, slow at the beginning, became slower 
every moment. The exercise did not warm us as it 
had done when we were in more vigorous health ; 
and we grew chilly in spite of our exertions. Face, 
hands, and feet seemed to be pierced by a multitude 
of torturing needles. The frost penetrated our bod- 
ies as if they had been inanimate ; and the blood 
which coursed through our veins felt almost as if it 
were half congealed. Against the intense cold our 
imperfect clothing offered a very inadequate shield. 
The thermometer, when we left the hut, indicated 
forty-four degrees below zero. The air was fortu- 
nately quite calm ; and the moon, shining with an 
intensity which it can exhibit only in an arctic at- 
mosphere, gave us sufficient light. The snow- 
crowned mountains of Northumberland Island were 

24 



278 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

dimly visible above the northern horizon. These 
were the distant, uninviting landmarks towards 
which our steps were directed. 

We should have made much better headway had 
we possessed a better sledge. The wooden sole was 
so rough and soft, and made therefore so much fric- 
tion, that the dogs could not drag the load without 
our assistance. Having no ropes with which to 
attach ourselves, we took turns, two at a time, at 
pushing against the upstanders. 

In this manner we had made about eight miles 
when. Stephenson, seeing the difficulty which beset 
us, insisted on being allowed to dismount and walk. 
This it did not seem possible that he could do, and 
his request was not granted ; but shortly after, when 
not observed, he rolled from the sledge, and declared 
that if he could nqt walk he would go no farther. I 
raised him up, and gave him the support of my arm. 
We proceeded thus together for about a mile, when 
he suddenly fell by my side and fainted away. 

We were at the moment close beside a small ice- 
berg, which, on its eastern side, was hollowed out in 
the form of a crescent. Across in front, from wing 
to wing, lay a heavy snow-drift inclosing a small 
area. Into this protected place we carried our sick 
comrade ; and, after wrapping him in our blankets, 
we built about him a rude shelter with blocks of 
snow, which were cut from the hard drift. Godfrey 
started the lamp to cook for him some coffee. He 
did not speak for several minutes. His first words 
were : " Leave me and save yourselves. I can never 
reach the ship, and had better die at once." 

We were in a dilemma. Go on without Stephen- 



DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS. 279 

son we would not ; and go on with him it seemed 
that we could not. What should we do ? 

The difficulty resolved itself. Although we had 
not made, on this our first march, more than one 
half of the distance we expected, being only half 
way to Cape Parry, and less than one fourth of the 
way to Northumberland Island, yet we were all 
thoroughly exhausted ; and without rest it did not 
seem possible that we could go much farther. We 
determined, therefore, to camp ; and accordingly 
such a snow shelter was constructed as, on former 
occasions of similar exposure, we had found to 
afford a safe protection ; but we soon discovered that 
we could prevent ourselves from freezing only by 
constant activity. 

It was clear that we must move on; for to run 
about with the view of keeping warm, or rather I 
should say, with the view of keeping alive, would be 
only to wear ourselves out without accomplishing 
anything in the direction of our purpose. 

I proposed to my comrades that Stephenson 
should be left in my care. I would undertake to 
get him back to the hut ; and would rely upon their 
reaching Northumberland Island, and sending sup- 
plies to us, through our friends Amalatok or Kingik- 
tok. The necessity for the adoption of such a 
course was evident, if the journey was to be con- 
tinued ; and I was anxious, at whatever hazard, to 
avoid turning the party back. I saw nothing better 
for poor Stephenson, and at the same time for the 
success of our undertaking. 

My proposal had scarcely been made before the 
party declared, that, with even the reduced cargo, it 



280 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

would be impossible ever to reach Northumberland 
Island without rest ; and rest it was clear could not 
be obtained in the interval. In view of this fact it 
was decided, without much delay, that we should 
return in a body to the hut, and fall back upon our 
original plan of sending Petersen and Bonsall with 
the sledge. Several of us were already severely 
nipped by the frost ; and all felt themselves to be 
losing rapidly what little strength -they had. 

The cargo was re-stowed ; the invalid, wrapped in 
blankets, was placed upon it ; and our melancholy 
faces were turned southward, toward our only shel- 
ter. Poor as this refuge had always been, it was 
now worse than ever. A pile of frozen sods and 
snow was heaped upon the floor, and the cold air 
was streaming in through the orifice from which 
these had been taken. 

We reached it — bow or when I doubt if any one 
of us distinctly remembers. I have often tried to 
bring to recollection some phenomenon which would 
indicate the period of the day. I cannot even re- 
member the direction of the shadows which our 
bodies cast upon the moon-lit snow. I know that 
we did not all arrive together. As we moved slowly 
forward, first one, and then another, and another of 
the party fell behind ; and it was at least an hour 
after the sledge had reached the hut before the last 
one, no longer able to stand upright, came crawling 
over the plain, upon his hands and knees. More 
than one of us thus finished the journey ; and it 
has always appeared to me as a remarkable exhibi- 
tion of the instinct of life that we toiled on in our 
stupefied unconsciousness even of danger. Ste- 



STUPEFIED BY COLD. 281 

phenson's fainting fit evidently saved us ; for, had 
we gone two miles farther and then turned back, or 
had we still gone forward, there was perhaps not 
one of us who would not, unconscious of the risk, 
have stopped by the way for a short nap, through 
which he would have passed into the sleep which 
knows no waking. 

We had just sense enough left to enable us to 
appreciate each other's wants, and to give assist- 
ance, the stronger to the weaker ; to close up tem- 
porarily the hole in the roof; to carry in our frosted 
blankets, and to spread them upon the breck under- 
neath those which we had left behind. We knew 
when we awoke next day that these things had been 
done ; but none of us retained more than the most 
vague impression as to the manner of their execu- 
tion. The intense cold, operating upon our feeble 
and overtaxed bodies, had made wild work with our 
mental faculties. 

We lay down in the darkness ; and, through hours 
uncounted, slept and shivered away the effects of 
our unfortunate journey. 

When we awoke we had lost our reckoning. 
Whether it was the first or the second day of De- 
cember we could not agree ; but, since the majority 
were in favor of the first, it was so declared. The 
stars told us the time of day. It was nearly noon. 

Although stiffened and sore with the cold and our 
severe exertions, we were rejoiced to find that none 
of us were seriously injured by the frost. I had 
slightly frozen both my hands and feet while en- 
gaged in trying to restore life to Stephenson. We 
were very hungry ; and, above all, feverish and 

24* 



282 AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

thirsty. Our first duty was to make a fire and 
melt some water. The little that we had left in 
the kettle was of course now frozen into a solid 
lump. 

Fire was not produced without difficulty and 
serious alarm. The person to whom had been in- 
trusted the box containing our tinder, brimstone 
matches, and flint and steel, had no recollection of 
the place where he had put them. Godfrey had 
used them at the berg where we camped, but what 
had become of them since, no one could tell. That 
the box was out upon the ice, seemed highly proba- 
ble. I do not remember to have heard, at any other 
time, such expressions of despair as followed the 
dawning of this conviction. We had nothing else 
with which to make a spark, for it was hopeless to 
think of producing such a result at so low a temper- 
ature by the friction of two pieces of wood. Our 
alarm was, however, unnecessary ; for the box was 
found upon the floor. Some one struck it with his 
foot, and we knew it by its rattle. Godfrey now 
remembered having rolled it up in the blankets 
when we stowed the sledge, and it had fallen un- 
noticed upon the ground when these were brought 
inside the hut. 

The lamp was soon lighted ; and, having col- 
lected together the few remaining splinters of the 
Hope, we made a fire, and for breakfast cooked some 
strong coffee, and warmed one half of what re- 
mained of the provision which we had taken with 
us on our journey. The other half was reserved 
for Petersen and Bonsall, who left us immediately 
after our repast was finished. I went with them 



DEPARTURE OF PETERSEN AND BONSALL. 283 

down to the beach in company with Mr. Sonntag ; 
and, after bidding them God-speed, watched them 
as they moved slowly up the coast. They both 
walked at first ; but after they had gone about a 
mile one of them dropped upon the sledge. Soon 
afterward they were hidden from view behind the 
hummocks ; and I turned toward the hut with Peter- 
sen's last words ringing in my ears : " If we ever 
reach the ship we will come back to you, or perish 
in the attempt, as sure as there is a God in heaven.'* 

If they ever reached the ship ! 

The four following days were the most wretched 
of our hut-life. We could not elevate the tempera- 
ture above zero. The roof could not be made 
as tight as it was before. We had not strength 
enough to remove the pile of sods and snow which 
lay in the middle of the floor. We were, during 
the greater part of the time, in darkness, not hav- 
ing oil sufficient to keep our lamp burning more 
than two hours of each day. The wood of the 
Hope was all consumed, and we had no fuel but 
the thwarts of the Ironsides. Our food was walrus- 
hide. 

There was not, in such a place, under such cir- 
cumstances, much to encourage hope ; and the trav- 
ellers were scarcely out of sight before all manner 
of speculations, respecting their probable fate and 
ours, were passing from mouth to mouth. One 
was fearful that they would be waylaid by the 
Esquimaux ; another thought that they would freeze 
on their way to Northumberland ; and all were 
agreed that, if they should reach the brig, there was 
scarcely a probability that they would be able to 



284 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

return ; and from what the Esquimaux had told us, 
and from what we had every reason to expect, the 
party who had remained in the vessel must be too 
much broken down by scurvy to send us aid. For 
my own part I could give little substantial encour- 
agement to anybody, for the reason that I could find 
little for myself. Even if our two comrades should 
return to us, should we be alive to profit by their 
devotion ? Yet we were still six living men, and 
there was the old proverb. 

The traps were visited as they had been formerly, 
and on the second day after the departure of the 
sledge Mr. Sonntag brought in a fox, which he had 
found dead in one of them. This trap was one of 
the farthest from the hut, and not having been vis- 
ited before during several days, the animal had 
frozen. Its skin was torn from it in an instant, 
and it was devoured before it was half cooked. 

We grew weaker each day. Happily, Stephen- 
son improved. Although, like the rest of us, he 
lost strength, yet he had less palpitation of the 
heart; and he recovered so far as to be able to 
move about. 

The pieces of young walrus-skin which we had 
been using for food were consumed on the third day ; 
and we were forced to resort to some scraps of old 
hide, which were so tough that they could scarcely 
be cut, and on this account had been rejected by our 
dogs. 

The traps were examined in the afternoon, but 
this time there was no fox. 

On the day after, the fourth since our friends had 
left us, I made as much of the circuit as my strength 



THOUGHTS OF HOME. 285 

would permit, and with the same fortune. I reached 
the spot where, with Petersen and Bonsall, I had, a 
few weeks before, talked of our homes in the south, 
and schemed for our deliverance; but the sun was 
no longer in sight to warm the sky, and to put a 
glow into my heart. The moon had usurped his 
place ; and her silver face seemed to reflect nothing 
but the coldness of the ice-fields which lay beneath 
her. 

I looked on every side with a yearning for some- 
thing outward to lighten the heavy weight which 
oppressed my spirits ; for darker times, and times of 
greater responsibility, I knew were near at hand ; 
but desolation and the silence of death were every- 
where around me ; and better than ever before, bet- 
ter probably than ever again, I felt what it was to 
depend upon one's self and God. 

Then came a reaction which will be readily un- 
derstood by the intelligent reader. I arose from 
the rock upon which I had been seated, and again 
fixed my eyes upon the sea. The stern silence which 
had been almost maddening, became now a source 
of inspiration. In the reflux of thought which fol- 
lowed, I forgot the cold moon, the leaden stars, the 
frowning cliffs, the desolate waste, the chilly glacier ; 
forgot my loneliness ; and I was back again in the 
world of life and power and action. The frozen sea 
grew into a fertile plain ; the hummocked ridges 
were resolved into walls and hedges ; and a southern 
panorama of sunny fields spread itself before me. A 
crack which meandered to the southwest, which had 
recently opened with the tide, and from which were 
curling up wreaths of " frost-smoke," favored the 



286 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

illusion. Clusters of little hummocks suggested 
herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. Larger masses 
were converted into trees ; and a long bank of snow, 
whose vertical wall threw a dark shadow on the 
plain, was the margin of a dense forest. Farther 
away, a pinnacled berg became a church with spire 
and belfry ; another wore the appearance of a ruined 
castle ; while still farther to the southwest, where 
the stream seemed to discharge itself into the ocean, 
stood a giant fort, under whose bristling guns lay a 
fleet of stately ships. 

Around all that I saw were clustered home asso- 
ciations, and objects which, years before, had sug- 
gested to my boyish mind the serious purposes of 
life ; and I turned away with renewed strength to 
fight the battle through, and with renewed determi- 
nation to behold again those scenes which my imag- 
ination had grouped together on the desolate sea. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

PLOTS AND COUNTER-PLOTS. 

I HAD not returned from my walk more than two 
hours, before three Esquimau hunters, with as many- 
sledges, arrived from Netlik. One of them was Ka- 
lutunah. Their visit seemed to have been prompted 
by curiosity, for they brought nothing to trade ; and 
they came into the hut with only two small pieces 
of meat, which were scarcely more than sufficient to 
furnish to themselves a moderate meal. One of 
these pieces was appropriated without ceremony to 
the use of our party, notwithstanding that the pro- 
ceeding was protested against by the hunters, with a 
multitude of sullen " Na ! na ! na-miks ! " Men in 
our condition were not likely to be deterred by a 
mere verbal negative. An equivalent for the meat 
was afterward given to them, and they appeared' to 
be satisfied. Both pieces were soon cooking. 

I now repeated to Kalutunah a request which had 
been made on previous occasions, viz : that his peo- 
ple should take us upon their sledges and carry us 
northward to the Oomeaksoak. His answer was 
the same as it had been hitherto. It was then pro- 
posed to him and his companions that they should 
hire to us their teams ; but this also they declined to 



288 AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

do. No offers which we could make seemed to pro- 
duce the slightest impression upon them ; and it was 
clear that nothing would induce them to comply 
with our wishes, nor even to give us any reason for 
their refusal. In fact they thoroughly understood 
our situation ; and we now entertained no doubt 
that they had made up their minds, with a unanim- 
ity which at an earlier period seemed improbable, to 
abandon us to our fate and to profit by it. In this 
view we were confirmed by a discovery which one 
of our men made upon going down to their sledges. 
They had brought with them several large pieces of 
bear and walrus meat, which they were evidently 
determined that we should not obtain ; and to in- 
sure this they had buried the pieces in the snow. 
.For this procedure they might well have had motives 
which it was not for us to question ; for example, 
provisions might be scarce at their settlement. 
Upon inquiring of Kalutunah if such was the case, 
he informed us that they had, the day before, cap- 
tured a bear, three seals, and a walrus. They had, 
then, plenty, and could not possibly have been actu- 
ated by the necessary selfish prudence which I had 
in charity attributed to them. 

The question to be decided became a very plain 
one. Here were six civilized men, who had no 
resort for the preservation of their lives, their useful- 
ness, and the happiness of their families, except in 
the aid of sledges and teams which the savage own- 
ers obstinately refused to seU or to hire. The expec- 
tation of seizing, after we should have starved 
or frozen to death, our remaining effects, was the 
only motive of the refusal. The savages were with- 



PLOT AGAINST THE ESQUIMAUX. 289 

in easy reach of their friends, and could suffer little 
by a short delay of their return. For their property 
compensation could be made after our arrival at the 
brig. For my own part, before attempting to ne- 
gotiate with Kalutunah, I had determined that his 
party should not escape us in case of failure in our 
application to them for aid. 

My comrades were not behind me in their inclina- 
tions. Indeed, it is to their credit that in so des- 
perate an extremity, they were willing to restrain 
themselves from measures of a kind to give us, at 
the time, far less trouble than those which I sug- 
gested. Being unwilling that any unnecessary 
harm should come to the Esquimaux, I proposed 
to put them to sleep with opium ; then, taking 
possession of their dogs and sledges, to push north- 
ward as rapidly as possible; and leaving them to 
awaken at their leisure, to stop for a few hours of 
rest among our friends at Northumberland Island ; 
then to make directly for Cape Alexander, with the 
hope of getting so far the start of Kalutunah and 
his companions, that before they could arrive at 
Netlik and spread the alarm, we should be beyond 
their reach. 

This plan met w^th the unanimous sanction of 
the party ; and we prepared to put it into immedi- 
ate execution. 

In the way of this there were some difficulties. 
Our guests were manifesting great uneasiness, and 
a decided disinclination to remain. Many threat- 
ening glances and very few kind words had been 
bestowed upon them ; and they were evidently be- 
ginning to feel that they were not in a safe place. 



290 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

It became now our first duty to reassure them ; and 
accordingly, the angry looks gave place to friendly 
smiles. The old, familiar habits of our people were 
resumed. Many presents were given to them. I 
tore the remaining pictures from my " Anatomy, " 
and the picture of the poor foot-sore boy who 
wanted washing, from " Copperfield, " and gave 
them to Kalutunah for his children. Such, pieces 
of wood as remained to us, were distributed amongst 
them. Each received a comb. This last they had 
sometimes seen us use, and they proceeded imme- 
diately to comb out their matted hair, or rather, to 
attempt that work ; but forty years of neglect, blub- 
ber, and filth had so glued their locks together, that 
there was no possibility of getting a comb through 
them. The jests excited by these attempts to imi- 
tate our practices did more to restore confidence 
than anything else. 

At length was reached the climax of our hospital- 
ities. The stew which we had been preparing for 
our guests was ready, and was placed before them ; 
and they were soon greedily devouring it. This pro- 
ceeding was watched by us with mingled anxiety 
and satisfaction ; for, while the pot was over the 
fire, I had turned into it, unobserved, the contents of 
a small vial of laudanum. The soup of course 
contained the larger part of the opium ; but being 
small in quantity it had been made so bitter that 
they would not eat more than the half of it. In 
order to prevent either of them from getting an 
overdose we divided the fluid into three equal por- 
tions; and then with intense interest awaited the 
result, apprehensive that the narcotic had not been 



ESQUIMAUX DRUGGED. 291 

administered in sufficiently large quantity to insure 
the desired effect. 

After an interval of painful watchfulness on the 
part of my companions, the hunters began to droop 
their eyelids, and asked to be allowed to lie down 
and sleep. We were not long in granting their wish, 
and never before had we manifested more kindly 
dispositions toward them. We assisted them in 
taking off their coats and boots, and then wrapped 
them up in our blankets, about which we were no 
longer fastidious. 

Our guests were in a few minutes asleep ; but I 
did not know how much of their drowsiness was 
due to fatigue, (for they had been hunting,) and how 
much to the opium ; nor were we by any means 
assured that their sleep w^as sound ; for they exhib- 
ited signs of restlessness which greatly alarmed us. 
Every movement had therefore to be conducted with 
the utmost circumspection. 

To prepare for starting was the work of a few 
minutes. We were in full travelling dress, coats, 
boots, and mittens, and some of us wore masks ; 
the hunters' whips were in our hands, and nothing 
remained to be done but to get a cup from the 
shelf. The moment was a critical one, for, if the 
sleepers should awake, our scheme must be revealed. 
Godfrey reached up for the desired cup, and down 
came the whole contents of the shelf, rattling to the 
ground. I saw the sleepers start ; and anticipating 
the result, instantly sprang to the light and extin- 
guished it with a blow of my mittened hand. As 
was to be expected the hunters were aroused. Ka- 
lutunah gave a grunt and inquired what was the 



292 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

matter. I answered him by throwing myself upon 
the breck, and crawling to his side, hugged him 
close, and cried, " Singikpok," (sleep). He laughed, 
muttered something which I could not understand, 
and without having suspected that anything was 
wrong, again fell asleep. 

This incident convinced us that we could not 
much rely upon either the soundness or the long 
continuance of the slumbers which we had secured, 
and that in order to prevent our guests from getting 
to Netlik before we should be beyond their reach, we 
must resort to other expedients. They must be 
confined within the hut, and the possibility of 
their escape prevented until relief could come to 
them from their companions at the settlement. 
This could only be accomplished by carrying oif 
their clothing. 

I slipped from the side of the sleeping savage, 
and sought for a little package which had dropped 
from my hand in the excitement of extinguishing 
the lamp. This package contained some of my 
journal-entries, some scientific notes, some records 
respecting the Esquimaux, and other important pa- 
pers, and I could ill afford to lose it ; but nowhere 
could it be found, nor was it safe to seek long. 
Everything was ready ; my companions were impa- 
tient to be off; the cups thrown from the shelf were 
scattered about the hut, endangering every move- 
ment. If the savages should detect us in the act 
of leaving, I knew that their fate was sealed. The 
risks were too great, the moment was too critical, 
to admit of delay. I abandoned the search. 

We crawled noiselessly out of the hut, carrying 



THE HUT ABANDONED. 293 

with US the boots, coats, and mittens of the sleep- 
ers. Stephenson was fortunately better than he 
had been for weeks. I gave to him the rifle, and 
stationed him with it on one side of the door. I 
took the double-barrelled shot-gun and occupied the 
side opposite. All of the fire-arms being now under 
my control, it was my intention, in case the Es- 
quimaux should discover us, to await their coming 
out of the hut, and, under cover of our guns, com- 
pel them to mount the sledges and drive us north- 
ward. 

Mr. Sonntag went down with the other men and 
prepared the sledges for starting. The dogs were 
greatly frightened by the sudden and novel treat- 
ment to which the strangers subjected them; and 
it was not without much trouble that they were har- 
nessed. Meanwhile one of the men brought up the 
greater portion of the meat which was found buried 
in the snow ; and having placed it in the passage, 
(it was sufficient, with economy, to last the prison- 
ers five or six days,) we tore down the snow wall in 
front of the hut ; and, with the frozen blocks, barri- 
caded the doorway. Sonntag cried to us that all 
was ready. Leaving the sentineFs post I took Ste- 
phenson by the arm, and supported him to my 
sledge. Mr. Sonntag and John had one, and Whip- 
ple and Godfrey the other, of the remaining two. 
The poor dogs, howling in terror, dashed off at the 
first crack of the whip, and once more Fort Deso- 
lation was at our backs. 

26* 



CHAPTER XXX. 



MOVING NORTHWARD. 



The dogs gave us much trouble. Unaccustomed 
to us, or to our voices, and startled by our sudden 
appearance among them, they seemed to be too 
much frightened to submit to control ; and, setting 
off at a furious pace, they dashed helter-skelter over 
the plain, some running one way, some another, 
their tails down, their ears up, — all uttering their 
peculiar wild cry, and all, seemingly possessed with 
the one idea of breaking away from their strange- 
looking drivers. My team twice took me back 
nearly to the hut, before I succeeded in getting any 
mastery of them ; and, weak as I was, they had by 
that time nearly mastered me. Meantime John 
and Godfrey were having a similar contest with 
their respective teams, which had carried them out 
among the rough ice half a mile from the coast. 

At length my brutes' heads were turned from the 
hut, and we were dashing at a ten-knot speed after 
the other sledges. I thought now that my trouble 
was over ; but no sooner had I overtaken my com- 
panions than my wolfish herd flew past them ; and 
then wheeling short around, some to the right, some 
to the left, they turned the sledge over backward, 



HALT IN A CAVE. 295 

rolled Stephenson and myself into a snow-drift, and 
beat a hasty retreat. I caught the up-stander as I 
tumbled off, and was dragged several yards before 
I could regain my feet, and throw myself upon the 
sledge. At this moment the dogs were plunging 
through a ridge of hummocks. The point of one 
of the runners caught a block of ice. All but two 
of the traces snapped off; and away went the 
dogs back toward their narcotized masters. To se- 
cure them again was of course impossible. The 
two animals which remained were hastily attached, 
one to each of the other sledges ; and leaving the 
third sledge jammed in the ice we continued our 
course. 

As we proceeded the dogs became more accus- 
tomed to our voices, and we made good headway. 
Cape Parry was reached without further accident. 
Here we halted, in a cave on the southern side of 
the point, for the purpose of making some repairs, 
and refreshing ourselves with a little rest and a pot 
of coffee. 

The cave gave us a good protection against a 
light wind which had sprung up during our jour- 
ney. It was about forty feet in depth, and twelve in 
height ; and being on a level with the sea it had 
a smooth, glassy floor. The dogs were picketed 
near its mouth ; and, after being fed, they huddled 
quietly together ; and, well reconciled to their new 
masters, they gave themselves no more uneasiness. 
Godfrey had broken his whipstock in his efforts to 
control their refractory tempers, and John had whip- 
ped his lash half away. Without repairing these, 
it was impossible to proceed with the teams, and 



296 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

fully two hours had elapsed before we were ready to 
continue oiir journey. 

I was preparing to start with Mr. Sonntag to 
pick a track through the hummocks which lay across 
the little bight into which we had come, when three 
men with a sledge hove in sight around a point 
of land, about a hundred yards from our camp. 
They were at once recognized as our late prisoners. 
They had been able to extricate from the ice the 
sledge which we had been forced to abandon ; and, 
refreshed by their food and sleep, they had quickly 
attached our fugitive dogs and started on our trail. 

Each party discovered the other at the same mo- 
ment, and both were equally surprised. The Esqui- 
maux were of course in our power ; but the surest 
way to guard against the hostility of the tribe, in 
consequence of our act of aggression, seemed to be 
to strike terror into these men ; for a savage despises 
nothing as much as weakness, and respects nothing 
as much as strength. 

Seizing the rifle, I sprang over the ice-foot and 
ran out to meet them. Sonntag was at my side 
with the gun. The Esquimaux stopped when they 
saw us approaching, and held their ground until we 
came within thirty yards of them, when, halting, I 
brought the rifle to my shoulder and aimed toward 
them. They turned away and, throwing their arms 
wildly about their heads, called loudly to us not to 
shoot. — " Na-mik ! na-mik ! na-mik ! " I lowered 
my rifle and beckoned to them to advance. This 
they did cautiously, assuring us at every step that 
they were friends. 

By this time Whipple had come up, and each of 



SUBJECTION OF THE ESQUIMAUX. 297 

US seized a prisoner. I took Kalutunah by the collar, 
and, after giving him a hearty shake, in token of my 
displeasure, I marched him before me to the mouth 
of the cave ; then facing him around toward his 
sledge, I pointed to it v^ith my gun ; and, turning 
toward the north, I told him, of course chiefly by 
signs, that if he took the whip which lay on the 
snow at his feet and drove us to the Oomeaksoak, I 
would give him back his dogs, sledge, coat, boots, 
and mittens, but that if he did not do this, he and 
his companions should be shot forthwith ; and, suit- 
ing the action to the word, I pushed him from me, 
and made a feint to level my gun. He sidled away 
a few paces, cr3dng, " Na ! na ! — Na-mik ! na-mik ! '' 
over and over again, as fast as his tongue could 
utter the words, making gestures all the time with 
his right hand, in imitation of driving dogs ; and 
with his left pointing northward. It being now evi- 
dent that he understood both my demand and the 
penalty in case of non-compliance, I rested the stock 
of my gun upon the ice and nodded my approval of 
his decision. I then beckoned him toward me, and, 
pointing to the dogs, sledges, &c., I gave him to 
understand that we would consider all those things 
as ours until the terms of the contract were com- 
plied with on his part. He approached with his old- 
fashioned familiarity, and expressed his satisfaction 
by an overwhelming volley of " tyma," (good or 
right). He was evidently convinced that the tables 
had turned, and that I was doing him a great favor, 
in negotiating instead of using the dreaded weapon. 
Our prisoners were a sorry looking party. They 
had arrayed themselves in our blankets, cutting 



298 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

holes in the middle of them for their heads. If not 
the original inventors of the Spanish poncho they are 
none the less entitled to credit for their ingenuity. 
One was dressed in red, another in white, and an- 
other in blue. One of them had discovered and 
appropriated an old pair of discarded boots ; the 
others had wrapped their feet in pieces of our blank- 
ets. None of them seemed to have suffered from 
the cold. They had been awakened by the dogs 
running over the roof, as we had feared would be 
the case. The opium did not seem to have had 
more than a brief effect. 

The cunning fellows had found means to light the 
lamp ; and discovering that we had taken their 
sledges and had abandoned the hut, they had evi- 
dently resolved not to be altogether losers by the 
operation; and, in a business-like manner, they 
had proceeded to collect whatever they could carry 
away. In addition to the presents which we had 
made them, they had upon their sledge several tin- 
cups and tin-plates, a spoon, an old russia cap, 
a part of my lost manuscript records, and some 
other small articles ; the useful and the useless all 
piled together. These things had been carried under 
their arms until they found the sledge. They had 
left the hut expecting to walk to Netlik or they 
would doubtless have taken more. 

As a proof of our disposition to trust them we 
restored their clothing ; and as they slipped into 
their jumpers, and tied on their moccasins, I could 
not but reflect that this was a strange way to 
make people happy. A more grateful set of fellows 
I had never seen. Our plan had succeeded better 



ARRIVAL AT NETLIK. 299 

than was anticipated ; for they did not attempt to 
touch dogs, sledge, or even a whip until they were 
bidden. 

We were soon under way ; and, running around 
the cape, we headed in for Netlik. The time occu- 
pied in reaching it was greatly protracted in conse- 
quence of our being obliged to walk or run during 
at least one third of the time, in order to prevent our- 
selves from freezing. 

We were first made aware that we approached 
the village by the howling of an immense pack of 
dogs, which grouped themselves together on the 
white hill-side, and set up their wild concert, that 
could be heard at the distance of several miles. As 
we neared the shore, a crowd of men, women, and 
children came down over the ice-foot to meet us. 

The savages, to the number of about fifty, assem- 
bled around us the moment we came to a halt. 
Among them I recognized many familiar faces. 
Everybody seemed greatly surprised to see us, espe- 
cially under such auspices. They were all eager for 
news, — why we came, and why we had been 
brought, seemed to be the prevailing questions. 

Feeling that it was still necessary to maintain 
the tone of authority with which we had com- 
menced the adventure, we met all their advances 
with reserve. Without giving time for an invita- 
tion, we told Kalutunah that three of us would go 
to each of the two huts ; and, having stopped there 
long enough to eat and sleep, we would continue 
our journey. For the benefit of the assembled mul- 
titude, just so much of the Cape Parry pantomime 
was repeated as was necessary to draw from Kalu- 



300 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

tunah and his two companions a renewal of their 
pledges, with which they were no less prompt than 
on the previous occasion.* 

Our situation required the use of whatever ad- 
vantage could be drawn from the superstitious fear 
which the savages had of our weapons. The Es- 
quimaux outnumbered us as eight to one ; we were 
half dead with cold, hunger, and fatigue ; we could 
not even feel assured that our guns were in a con- 
dition to be discharged ; and with much of our 
prestige destroyed by preceding events, we had 
good reason to doubt our ability to maintain our- 
selves in case of any general excitement of the 
people into whose midst we had been thrown. 

The dogs were given in charge of the boys, and 
we proceeded to the village. Mr. Sonntag, taking 
with him John and Whipple, was conducted to the 
hut of the chief, while I, with Stephenson and 
Godfrey, was taken by Kalutunah to his own man- 
sion. 

The settlement was now greatly enlarged by the 
people who had come from the south ; and as I 
walked up from the beach I observed several snow- 
houses grouped around the two stone hovels which 
constituted the permanent portion of the village. 

* In relation to the knowledge of fire-arms, the reader will observe a 
great diflference between the Esquimaux of Smith Strait and those men- 
tioned in the reports of the later English Expeditions to the north coasts 
of America. The former had, with a few exceptions in cases where 
communication had been held with the whale and discovery ships about 
Cape York, no practical acquaintance whatever with the terrible weapons 
of the white men, previous to the arrival of the Advance; and although a 
vague account of our guns must have spread through the settlements, yet 
we owed our safety to the fact that the " charm " of novelty had not been 
dispelled before we were thrown among the savages without other pro- 
tection than the threats narrated in the text. 



KALUTUNAH'S HUT. 301 

In these snow-houses the moving families which 
we had recently entertained in our hut at Booth 
Bay were temporarily sojourning. 

Kalutunah, in order the better to keep out the 
wind, had lengthened with snow the covered en- 
trance to his hut, so that we were obliged to crawl 
fully twenty feet before we emerged into the dimly 
lighted apartment. It was completely deserted, the 
inmates having gone down to meet the sledges ; 
but they were close behind us with others drawn 
by curiosity, and all came pouring in until the place 
seemed likely to be more tightly packed than it was 
when I visited it in September. The discomfort 
which would thus be caused, and the embarrass- 
ment to be anticipated in case any hostile feeling 
toward us should spring up, induced me to request 
Kalutunah not to admit any other persons than the 
ordinary inmates. He hesitated, manifestly regard- 
ing my procedure as an invasion of his authority, 
and he looked for a moment as though he would 
ask " is not my house my own ? " The exigence, 
however, appeared to justify a little forwardness on 
my part, which being clearly expressed with the 
aid of a hint towards the " boom," the intruders 
retired from the hut and from the passage, leaving 
only about a dozen persons within. Fortunately 
several of these were small children. 

Oh the luxury of that savage den ! Ten weeks 
befofe, when I visited it, it was to me the embodi- 
ment of all that was most repulsive ; now it was 
a real " weary man's rest." Our enfeebled bodies 
had just been exposed during fifteen consecutive 
hours, in travelling between forty and fifty miles. 

26 



802 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

So great was the exhaustion of one of the party that 
he fell from debility alone the moment he went 
into the cold air. We were in a fit condition to 
appreciate the blessings of a place where we could 
lie down without the certainty of freezing ; and we 
indulged in no close criticism of our surroundings. 

We received all manner of kind attentions from 
our host. The women pulled off our boots, mittens, 
coats, and stockings, and hung them up to dry. 
My beard was frozen fast to the fur of my coat ; 
and it was the warm hand of Kalutunah's wife 
that thawed away the ice. Meats of different 
kinds were brought in and offered to us in the only 
styles known to the Esquimau cuisine, that is, par- 
boiled and raw ; or as Stephenson more elegantly 
expressed it, " cooked with fire," and " cooked with 
frost ; " but our fatigue had destroyed our appe- 
tites, and the warmth of the hut soon so overcame 
us that we fell asleep in the very act of taking food 
from the hand of our hostess. Now that the stimu- 
lus under which we had been acting was removed, 
scarcely anything could have prevented us from 
sleeping at the end of the first half-hour of our 
stay in that close, warm place. The hut was 
warmer by 120° than the atmosphere to which we 
had been so long exposed. 

I lay down among a promiscuous collection of 
half-clad and un-clad men, women, and children ; 
and my first consciousness was of some' one pull- 
ing at my feet. It was the mistress of the estab- 
lishment, who had prepared for us a plentiful meal ; 
and we were soon doing such justice to the boiled 
steaks of bear, and the frozen steaks of seal, as 



DEPARTURE FROM NETLIK. 303 

need not have shamed an Esquimau hunter. An- 
other long nap followed this feast ; another feast 
followed the nap; and so on alternately through 
greater or less stages, until we had recovered from 
our fatigue and were strengthened by our good 
fare. We then signified to Kalutunah that we 
were prepared to start; and in a few minutes he 
had everything ready for us. The stars told us 
that we had been resting about twenty-seven hours. 
Taking leave of the good people of Netlik, we 
clambered down over the ice-foot, and then mount- 
ing the sledges, we followed the path among the 
hummocks which Kalutunah's son picked for us, 
until we were clear of the bay, when, waving adieu 
to the young Esquimaux who had followed us, we 
continued our journey over the frozen sea. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

OVER THE FROZEN SEA. 

Our course was toward Northumberland Island, 
which, as the crow flies, is about twenty miles from 
Netlik ; but as we were obliged to make several 
detours^ in order to avoid the extensive ridges of 
broken ice which lay parallel with the axis of the 
channel, the distance actually travelled by us was 
nearly thirty miles. 

Our destination was reached in about six hours. 
The natives of the island came out to meet us. 
We found here, as at Netlik, two substantial stone- 
huts ; to each of which three of us were conducted, 
and placed in charge of the mistress of the estab- 
lishment. 

These two huts belonged to the before-mentioned 
brothers, Amalatok and Kingiktok ; and each hut 
being occupied by only one family, our quarters 
were neither as distressingly close, nor as uncom- 
fortably warm as the huts of Netlik. Kingiktok 
fulfilled graciously his duties as host ; and his wife 
in concert with the witch-wife of Amalatok exerted 
herself to make us comfortable. Our boots, stock- 
ings, coats, and mittens were hung to dry ; and then 
food and water were given to us. The food was 



FROZEN BIRDS. 305 

the flesh of birds and was abundant in quantity ; 
and, although served as usual, namely, parboiled 
and frozen, it was very acceptable. The water 
was melted snow ; and, having been prepared in 
a pot which had probably never been cleansed, and 
being drunk from a seal-skin dish which could not 
be cleansed, was not, on the other hand, to be com- 
mended. 

Northumberland Island is, during the breeding 
season, a favorite resort of the little auk; and with 
a providence which I had not seen among the Es- 
quimaux in other places, the people here seem to 
have collected the birds in great numbers. Soon 
after our arrival one of the women brought into the 
hut a solid cube of them, a foot in diameter. This 
was the contents of one of their caches^ made during 
the last summer. The birds had been thrown in as 
they were caught, and they were now all frozen to- 
gether en masse. We were at liberty to break them 
off with a stone, one at a time, and, after removing 
the skin, to eat them in their actual condition, — or to 
wait until the women should have cooked them. We 
practised both alternatives. The pot would not hold 
more than half a dozen birds at one time, and it was 
replenished as fast as emptied. Our stay was pro- 
longed in consequence of a light wind which had 
sprung up from the northeast. 

This halt and abundant feeding did much to re- 
store our strength, and we were in no haste to start, 
for every hour added to our gain of physical energy. 
Knowing that we should be compelled, either to 
camp in a snow-house upon the ice-fields, or to 
perform a long journey to reach again an Esqui- 

26* 



306 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

mau hut, we had reason to be thankful that the 
wind had come to detain us ; for, although our driver^ 
were as much as ever disposed to obey us, yet it 
would have been highly impolitic to restrain their 
eagerness to push forward. 

We learned at this place that our friends Petersen 
and Bonsall had been there before us ; and, having 
made a long halt, had gone northward under the 
guidance of Amalatok. 

We parted from our savage hosts as soon as the 
wind liad died away ; and we headed up the strait 
which separates Northumberland from Herbert Isl- 
and ; but our progress in this direction was arrested 
by an impenetrable barrier of hummocks, which 
obliged us to alter our course to the eastward. The 
light was not sufficient to enable us to see the con- 
dition of the track far in advance, and after pro- 
ceeding a short distance on our new route we found 
ourselves in a sort of cul de sac, almost completely 
surrounded by rough ice. In every direction there 
was to be seen only a succession of apparently end- 
less ridges of crushed tables, piled up in many places 
to the height of thirty or forty feet. 

The Esquimaux have a great horror of these rugged 
barriers, and always avoid them where it is possible 
to do so, even at the expense of greatly increasing 
their distance ; but there was clearly now no course 
for us but to attempt to penetrate through the wil- 
derness in the direction of Herbert Island, which ap- 
peared to be about seven or eight miles from us. 
Retreating a few paces we discovered a narrow lead, 
which was entered ; and we followed its numerous 
tortuosities for about a quarter of a mile. Here it 



AMONG THE HUMMOCKS. 307 

was found to end, and we were all compelled to dis- 
mount and clamber over a jagged pile of ice, beyond 
which we were disappointed in not again finding a 
lead. For several hours we toiled on, winding in all 
directions, seeking the smoothest, or rather I should 
say the least rough, places. Of course we could not 
ride. 

At length, after having travelled, as we supposed, 
about ten miles, and having made in linear distance 
about three, we came upon a moderately level plain, 
and resumed our places upon the sledges. By hold- 
ing a northeast course, to avoid the rough barrier 
which we had passed, we reached, at length, the 
island for which we had been steering. During this 
trying journey across the channel Stephenson bore 
up bravely, and astonished all of us by his en- 
durance. 

Upon meeting the shore we mounted to the land- 
ice, and ran at good speed over its level surface, 
along the base of the sloping debris which lay un- 
der the weather-worn cliffs. An hour's comfortable 
travelling brought us to the north side of the island, 
where, descending again to the field-ice, we struck 
out across the north arm of Whale Sound, directly 
for the main land, the distant mountains of which, 
dimly illuminated by the moon, loomed up in the 
north and northeast. The landmark toward which 
our drivers were steering was Cape Robertson. 
Near this cape we knew that the village of Karsooit 
was situated ; but we feared that it was so far to the 
eastward that it could not be reached by us without 
going too much out of our way, and we therefore 
looked forward, with no little disrelish, to camping 



308 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

in a snow-hut. It soon became evident to us, how- 
ever, that our drivers were leading us toward the 
village ; and, seeing that we were growing cold, 
they gave us the encouraging assurance that igloe 
(huts) and koona (women) were before us. 

Our track was now almost as smooth and level as 
a floor, except that here and there it was made gently 
undulating by the unequal snow-drifts. Our dogs 
galloped swiftly over it. The islands sank rapidly 
behind us, and the land in front grew more distinct. 
We were encircled by an ice-horizon, and there was 
not within sight a single object to break the uniform 
smoothness of the white field, except an occasional 
berg which threw its long dark shadow upon the 
glistening plain. 

I was struck with the character of the snow. 
The temperature was lower than it had been on any 
previous occasion of our exposure, and the intense 
cold had so hardened the crystals that we seemed to 
be travelling over a bed of sand. The sledges did 
not move with their accustomed freedom. To over- 
come the friction which retarded our progress, our 
drivers resorted to an ingenious, though simple, ex- 
pedient. Halting at short intervals, they capsized 
their sledges, and, dissolving in their mouths a piece 
of ice or snow, they moistened their fingers and 
applied them to the under surface of the runner. 
Thus was instantly formed a thin film of ice. 

We halted once for a meal. One of the sledges 
was unlashed, and a piece of bear-meat and another 
of narwhal-blubber were produced. The latter of 
these was of the consistency of well-hardened butter, 
and was pared off in delicate slices ; but the meat 



SLEDGE-TKAVELLING. 309 

was SO solid that we could not without difficulty 
break it to pieces. We made, nevertheless, a good 
repast, and being thereby greatly refreshed we pro- 
ceeded on our way. It is astonishing how soon one 
grows hungry in those low temperatures. 

Our progress was also much retarded in conse- 
quence of our being obliged frequently to dismount 
and walk, or rather to run, in order to keep ourselves 
from freezing. Although at such times we were 
supported by the up-standers, which we grasped with 
our hands ; yet, even with this assistance, it was 
sometimes found necessary to check the dogs, in 
order to accommodate their movements to our 
ability. 

Towards the latter part of the journey we became 
seriously alarmed, in consequence of a light wind 
springing up from the northeast. To face a strong 
breeze in such a temperature was quite impossible. 
The first puffs which came cut our faces severely, 
and chilled us through and through ; but fortunately 
we were soon under the shelter of the high cliffs of 
the main-land. 

The coast reached, we headed up a narrow inlet 
toward the village. As heretofore, our coming was 
proclaimed by the howling of dogs, and very soon a 
bright light was seen glimmering on the white hill. 
Never did light glow with a brighter welcome. A 
faint cheer broke from our party as it burst into 
view. We had travelled at least fifty miles. 

The sledges halted close to the beach, and three 
of the party were immediately conducted into the 
hut where the light had been discovered. The rest 
of us were taken about half a mile further, to a 



310 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

similar shelter. These dens were the very counter- 
part of those in which we had been quartered at 
Netlik. They were packed full of human beings, 
and were hot, close, and foul. The comforts, how- 
ever, far outweighed the discomforts, and we were 
duly thankful for the change. We suffered most 
annoyance from the heat. Passing from a tem- 
perature of 50° below zero to one of 75° above it 
was a severe trial to the animal economy ; and we 
could do nothing else than accept the good offices 
of our hosts, who proposed immediately to divest us 
of our clothing. To their astonishment, however, 
we persisted in retaining some portions of our arti- 
ficial covering. 

A large seal, which had been recently caught, lay 
in the middle of the floor when we entered. And 
to it we did ample justice. Our drivers came in, 
each with a seal-skin tub, and carried off the refuse 
portions for their dogs ; but soon afterward joined 
us in the feast. 

After finishing the meal, and taking a short nap, I 
paid a visit to the other hut. It belonged to our 
old enemy, Sip-su. The gruff savage had not re- 
lented in the least, and he showed no disposition to 
oblige his uninvited and unwelcome guests. Al- 
though he had evidently been astonished and in- 
timidated by the unceremonious manner in which he 
had been treated by his visitors, it was clear that 
he was not mollified. 

Our halt here was not as long as our two former 
ones ; and, when well refreshed, we started again on 
our journey. Our route lay along the crooked coast, 
and passing in quick succession dark capes, white 



AN EXHILARATING RIDE. 311 

glaqiers, broad bays, and narrow inlets, we brought 
up, at the end of five hours, in a double hut w^hich 
stands on the shore of a small bay to the south of 
Cape Saumarez. 

The ride was exhilarating, and in all respects 
pleasant. We were not exposed long enough to 
grow either tired or cold. We had four sledges, — 
an old hunter named Ootinah having joined us at 
Karsooit. The track was quite smooth, and the 
dogs, as fresh at the end as at the beginning of the 
journey, kept up a constant gallop. Encouraged by 
the familiar cries of their masters, they would now 
and then dash off at a furious pace, each team striv- 
ing to outstrip the others. We averaged in speed 
about six miles an hour, and must have made some- 
times, for a short distance, fully ten. The snarling 
of the dogs as one team after another shot ahead, 
the crack of the whips, the merry laughs and the 
encouraging " Ka ! ka ! — Ka ! ka ! " of the drivers, 
and the creaking of the sledges, still ring in my 
ears ; and they are the more pleasantly remembered, 
because they bring this day into striking contrast 
with that which followed. 

We quitted the double hut after a few hours. 
The Esquimaux told us, before starting, that our 
next halt would be at Etah, which we knew to be 
the most northern of the native villages. To reach 
that village we must pass "the blowing place," 
(Cape Alexander.) We therefore had before us a 
day's journey of sixty miles, which we had some 
reason to dread ; for the Esquimaux, whenever 
alluding to Cape Alexander, did it with a shrug 
and a shiver. Besides, our experience of the cape 



312 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

in September, when our boats were nearly swamped, 
was fresh in our recollection. "We had grown so 
inured to the cold that we did not fear exposure, 
during any reasonable period, to any temperature, 
especially now that we had recovered so much 
strength ; but neither we nor our drivers could live 
long in a December wind. The Esquimaux of the 
arctic wastes are as fearful of a gale as are the 
Bedouins in their desert. It pelts the one with a 
cloud of snow, and it buries the other in a cloud of 
sand ; and both of these make frequent victims 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

ROUNDING CAPE ALEXANDER AGAIN. 

The first twenty miles of the distance were 
passed rapidly and comfortably, and the monotony 
was most pleasingly broken by a chase after a bear, 
and by another after a fox. The fox escaped to 
the shore, and the bear to some rough ice. Om- 
drivers were anxious to continue the pursuit, and 
it was not without some difficulty that we prevailed 
upon them to relinquish it. Although the chase 
was pleasant and exciting while we were on smooth 
ice, we had no taste for bouncing over the hum- 
mocks at the speed of a pack of wild dogs in 
pursuit of prey. 

As we neared Cape Alexander we had a foretaste 
of what was in store for us. When many miles 
to the south of it we were overtaken by a light 
southerly wind, which increased as we advanced ; 
and almost at the very moment when we caught, 
through the thick atmosphere, the first faint glimpse 
of the great vertical rock which as a monster for- 
tress seemed to guard the entrance to the Polar 
Ocean, a squall struck us. It gave us a cheerless 
salute ; and being mixed with a cloud of fine drift, 
and coming directly into our faces, it cut us terribly. 

27 



314 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Unable to bear up against it we hauled close under 
the coast, where we were sheltered during our pas- 
sage around the head of a small bay. 

The cold gust which came down upon us from 
the cape was only an eddy; for, when outside of 
the little bay and away from its protecting ice- 
bergs and islands, the wind was found, as before, 
to be blowing steadily from the southward. There 
was something cheering in this, for the storm was, 
at least partially, at our backs. 

The wind soon rose to a nioderate gale. The 
irregular coast eddied it back into our faces ; and 
to escape the suffering occasioned by these fre- 
quent blasts we drew further away from the land. 
The ice, at a short distance from the shore, was 
found to have been in places bared of snow by 
the almost constantly prevailing winds ; and over 
the glassy sheet we were absolutely driven before 
the gale. The dogs, seldom stretching their traces, 
ran howling from the sledges, which crowded upon 
their heels. 

It was a wild scene. The night was dark. The 
moon had gone far down behind the mountains, 
and we had no other light to guide us than the 
pale glimmer of the stars. The shadows of the 
cliffs, whose mighty crests towered a thousand feet 
above oiir heads, lay coldly upon us, and intensi- 
fied the midnight gloom. The patches of snow 
which hung upon the abrupt angles of the giant 
wall ; the white sheet which lay upon its lofty 
summit ; the glaciers which here and there pro- 
truded through its clefts, brought out in bold relief 
the blackness of its deep recesses. The air was filled 



OPEN WATER. 315 

with clouds of drift, which sometimes wholly ob- 
scured the land, and which swept fiercely before us 
over the icy plain. 

At length a dark line was seen to cross our path ; 
wreaths of " frost smoke " were curling over it, and 
these revealed its character. " Emerk ! emerk ! " 
(water! water!) was the cry which simultaneously 
broke from the di'ivers. The headway of the sledges 
was stopped as quickly as possible, and we brought 
up at only a few yards from a recently opened and 
rapidly widening crack. Already it was twenty 
feet across. 

We mounted to the top of a pile of hummocks 
and peered into the darkness. Cape Alexander was 
only a few miles in advance. The ice in the shal- 
low bay on its southern side was severed by numer- 
ous cracks ; while beyond, starting from the foot of 
the cape, a broad sheet of water spread itself to 
the westward. Its dark surface, agitated by the 
wind, was covered with white caps; and here and 
there a frosty surf was breaking over a small berg 
or vagrant floe. The pieces of ice which lay along 
its margin were in motion, and their hard faces 
were grinding tumultuously together. The clamor 
made by these, the ceaseless beating of the surf, 
the moaning of the wind, the rattling of the drift, 
the piteous wailing of the dogs, were so loud that 
we could scarcely hear each other speak ; and the 
force of the gale was so great that we were almost 
blown from the pinnacle to which we had climbed. 

Our situation seemed almost desperate. To cross 
over the land was impossible, for there was no break 
in the cliffs by which we could ascend. To turn 



316 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

about and hunt for a land-passage, would have been 
certain death, for we could not face the storm. Our 
drivers, more hardy than we, were for going back. 
Rendered almost frantic by suffering, we were in no 
condition to hear such a proposition, and again the 
pistol did its work of intimidation. We had caught 
a glimpse of the white ice-foot hanging above the 
water at the base of the cliffs ; and by this we were 
determined to attempt a passage. 

Returning to the land, we ascended the ice-foot 
by a ladder made with our sledges, and. then ran 
rapidly along its level surface. In a few minutes 
we were beyond the crack which had baffled us ; 
but coming soon afterward to a small hanging 
glacier we were obliged to return to the field-ice. 
We had gone only a short distance over this before 
we met another chasm. Running along its margin, 
eagerly seeking an opportunity to cross it, we came 
at length opposite to a point of ice, which, project- 
ing beyond the general line of fracture, narrowed 
the chasm to about four feet. It was impossible 
to ascertain in the darkness whether or not this 
projection was fast. There was not a moment to 
lose. Every instant diminished our chances of a 
passage ; for the floe was moving off, and the crack 
was widening. Already we had consumed much 
time in fruitless searching. Resolved to take the 
risk, I sprang upon the supposed tongue ; but when 
too late I discovered that it was loose. The treach- 
erous raft sank beneath my weight, and I went down 
into the cold sea. 

I struggled to gain the opposite side. In the 
effort the lump of ice which was stiU under my 



WINDING ALONG THE ICE-FOOT. 317 

feet tilted, and losing my equilibrium I fell back- 
ward, and should have gone completely under had 
not Stephenson been standing close to the spot 
whence I had sprung. Reaching forward as I in- 
clined toward him, he caught me under the arms 
and drew me out. 

I owe my preservation to the timely aid of my 
former patient ; for although there was but little 
danger of my drowning, with so many persons at 
hand to render assistance, my life would not have 
been worth an hour's purchase, if I had remained 
long enough in the water to become thoroughly wet- 
ted, and had then been landed on the ice, in a gale 
of wind, with the temperature below the freezing- 
point of mercury. As it was, my skin-clothing 
turned the water, and only a little penetrated 
through the opening between my pantaloons and 
boots. Falling upon my knees, and elevating my 
feet, I drained this out as well as I could ; and Mr. 
Sonntag having in the mean time found a better 
crossing, I joined the sledges as the last resisting 
dog was thrown over the crack. 

Our faces were once more turned toward the 
coast. My clothing was soon so stiffened with ice 
that I could scarcely run, and the water which had 
trickled down into my boots burned like melted 
lead. 

We were soon back upon the ice-foot ; and fol- 
lowing its numerous windings we reached at length 
the open water. Here we were rejoiced to find a 
smooth surface and abundant room for a passage. 
In occasional places the " foot " was ten yards in 
width, but more frequently from one to two yards ; 

27* 



318 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

and sometimes where there was an unusual pro- 
trusion of the cliff it was scarcely wider than the 
sleds. 

We continued to wind along this varying ledge 
without interruption until we came to the outer 
extremity of the cape, where a sharp rock pro- 
jected into the water. Here for the space of sev- 
eral feet the belt was not more than fifteen inches 
wide, and it was sloping. The word " halt " was 
passed along the line, and men and dogs crouched 
behind the rocks for shelter. The wind was still 
blowing furiously, lashing the waves against the 
frozen shore at our feet, whirling great sheets of 
snow down upon us from the overhanging cliffs, 
and howling like an army of demons. We could 
not face the storm of drift, which pelted mercilessly 
upon our backs, and to go forward appeared to be 
impossible ; yet this we must try. Advancing to 
the point, I discarded my mittens, and, clinging 
with my bare hands to the crevices in the rock, I 
moved cautiously along the sloping shelf. Twenty 
feet vertically below me, the water, black as ink, 
except where it was breaking into surf, yawned to 
receive any victim whom an inadvertent step might 
precipitate into it. I shall not soon forget the emo- 
tions of joy and thankfulness with which I found 
myself safely landed upon the broad belt at the 
further side of the dangerous place. 

Now came the troublesome operation of getting 
over the dogs. These were driven forward by their 
masters, and being seized by their collars, were one 
by one dragged around the point. Then the sledges 
were pushed along the shelf, and were there held 



ARRIVAL AT ETAH. 319 

on one runner until the dogs could stretch their 
traces, when, bounding forward in obedience to a 
fierce " ka I ka ! " the animals whirled them into 
safety before they could topple over the precipice. 
The teams, each accompanied by its driver, having 
all been thus brought over, the remainder of the 
party followed. Except some frost-bites upon our 
fingers, the scars of which we will carry with us 
to our graves, the passage was made without an 
accident. 

Continuing on our course, tortured at every turn 
mth anxiety lest we should ultimately reach a spot 
where the ice-foot was gone altogether, we were at 
length gladdened by a glimpse of the broad ice- 
field of Etah Bay, and by the discovery that this 
limited the open water. 

Since first coming within view of Cape Alex- 
ander we had travelled fully fifteen miles, at least 
one third of which distance was upon this unsafe 
shelf above a foaming sea. All of us had been 
more or less frozen in the interval. 

The ice-foot grew wider as we advanced ; and 
at length we were opposite to the before-mentioned 
plain. To this we descended, and then headed for 
the native village of Etah, which was from fifteen 
to twenty miles distant. The track was smooth, 
the wind greatly lightened the draught, the whips 
were not spared, and . after a rapid run we reached 
our destination, more dead than alive. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



REACHING THE BRIG. 



We found Amalatok at Etah, and we were told 
by him that Petersen and Bonsall had, as at om* 
other halting-places, preceded us; that they were 
accompanied by several sledges ; that they had 
passed Cape Alexander over land;* that after hav- 
ing rested they had continued their journey, and 
had reached the brig in safety ; but that being 
broken down and unable to return, and the crew 
of the Advance being sick, Dr. Kane had intrusted 
to the Esquimaux some provisions which they were 
then bringing to us. 

We could readily credit all of this story except 
the latter part of it; for some partially consumed 
pieces of pork lay strewn about the hut, proving 
conclusively that the savages had been false to 
their promises, and that they had not intended to 
come near us. We afterward learned that Dr. 
Kane had promptly loaded four sledges with pork 
and bread, and that, as the drivers of them had re- 
ceived many valuable presents, it was thought that 
their faithfulness had been secured ; but that the 

* Om- guides did not know of the mountain-pass through which 
Amalatok had led Petersen- and Bonsall. 



i 



FROST-BITE. 321 

bread had been thrown away before they were fairly 
out of sight of the brig, and the pork had been 
appropriated to their own uses. 

The wisdom of our course in leaving Booth Bay 
was now clearly evident, although our journey was 
yet far from finished. The distance from Etah to 
Rensselaer Harbor was much greater than any 
single march that we had yet accomplished. Dr. 
Kane estimates it at ninety-one miles ; and adopt- 
ing his allowance for the necessary deviations from 
a straight line of travel, this estimate is probably 
not excessive. 

I showed my frosted feet to the wise doctors of 
the tribe ; but they only shook their heads. Such 
rude restoratives as I could command were applied, 
but without avail. Wherever the water had touched 
the skin the frost had gone in deeply, and life could 
not be restored. The pain was very severe; and it 
was evident that if I staid in the warm hut long 
enough to allow the frozen parts to become thawed, 
I should not be able to finish the journey to the brig. 
Tired and exhausted as I was by so long an ex- 
posure, my suffering was too great for sleep ; and 
after we had been housed four hours, I awoke Mr. 
Sonntag, and giving up to him the charge which 
hitherto we had shared, I apprised him of my deter- 
mination to start immediately for the vessel, and 
requested that he would not mention my absence 
to the party until they had thoroughly rested. 

Taking Ootinah with me I crawled noiselessly 
out of the hut, and then explained to him my de- 
sire to go on at once. He quickly comprehended 
both my situation and my wants ; and with a dis- 



322 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

interestedness which I never saw in any other mem- 
ber of his tribe, (for he did not ask for pay,) he 
promptly signified his disposition to accede to my 
request, and proceeded to harness his team. This 
man had been my driver since leaving Karsooit, 
and he seemed to have formed an attachment to 
me. He had, during the last hour of our last march, 
rendered me important aid by pounding my stiffened 
limbs with his whipstock. I remember his services 
with gratitude. 

We were soon under way, but we had not gone 
far when voices were heard behind us ; and long 
before reaching Cape Ohlsen I was overtaken by 
my comrades, each one having now a separate 
sledge. Appreciating the motive which had in- 
duced them to follow, I nevertheless regretted their 
promptness ; for with so short a rest after so hard 
a journey, I felt sure that they were running a 
useless risk. 

After crossing the narrow channel which lies off 
Cape Ohlsen, we rounded the north cape of Lit- 
tleton Island, and held off from the coast of the 
main land, in order to avoid as much as possible 
the heavy hummocks which lay near it. Cape 
Hatherton and Refuge Harbor were soon at our 
backs, and we arrived at length opposite Anoatok. 
Here, contrary to our wishes, we were detained for 
some time. Passing close alongside of a grounded 
ice-berg, the sharp senses of the dogs discovered a 
walrus which was blowing in the crack at its base. 
Halting . their teams, the hunters seized their weap- 
ons and watched for his reappearance ; but the 
animal had been frightened away, and did not again 



HUMMOCKS AND DARKNESS. 323 

show himself. While the Esquimaux were thus 
engaged, we crouched into a recess of the berg for 
shelter, (for the wind was still blowing from the 
south,) and we availed ourselves of this opportu- 
nity to strengthen ourselves with a meal of frozen 
meat and blubber. Prior to this halt, a dash after a 
bear, the trail of which fortunately ran for several 
miles directly in our course, gained for us almost as 
much as was here lost. 

We were now about ten miles from the coast, to 
make which was an absolute necessity ; since by 
following the outer line of the hummocked ridges 
we were getting further and further from the land. 
We had all good reason to dread the effort which 
it must cost to reach the shore, for nowhere could 
we detect any level ice, and we must therefore walk. 

One of the party, a young hunter named Myouk, 
pointed out to \is a track by which he had passed 
on his way to the brig, and which had been se- 
lected by daylight. I undertook to act as guide, 
and for a time experienced no difficulty in follow- 
ing the track ; but coming at length to the end 
of everything like an opening, I was compelled 
to rely upon an attempt to follow by sight the 
sledge-marks. In this I failed, for it was so dark 
that sometimes even when upon my hands and 
knees I could scarcely discover the impressions of 
the runners. Fearful that I should lead the party 
into an impassable labyrinth, I called Myouk to 
me. Godfrey took his whip. The superiority of 
the long practised sense of this savage over mine 
was at once seen ; for the lines which I could not 
trace, except when stooping, he followed, for the 



324 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

most part, in an erect attitude. Occasionally he 
was compelled to grope about upon his hands and 
knees ; and twice he led us off upon a false trail, 
once obliging us to retrace our steps for about a 
quarter of a mile. Except that there was no moon, 
that we were much fatigued at starting, and that 
the distance was twice as great, this journey through 
the mass of impacted ice was much like the passage 
aheady described from Northumberland to Herbert 
Island. 

The dilapidated hut at Anoatok was at length 
reached ; and the party, twelve in number, crowded 
in through its broken doorway. It was partially 
filled with drift, and offered only a sorry shelter. 
We blocked up the entrance with snow from the 
inside to keep out the wind, and we endeavored to 
light our lamps ; but in some unaccountable man- 
ner both our tinder and that of the Esquimaux had 
become damaged ; and after many fruitless trials we 
gave up the attempt. Without fire, and without 
skins in which to wrap ourselves, we could not long 
remain in this place. We were freezing, and must 
renew our activity, or speedily succumb to the cold. 

Our failure to obtain rest at the hut was a serious 
disappointment to all of us ; and it really seemed 
impossible that we could, without it, finish the 
march, — forty-one miles yet ! As I thought of 
this, I confess that I did not see how the party were 
to bear up through the hours of exposure which the 
journey must require. 

Down over the ice-foot dashed the sledges ; across 
a little bay; up the ice-foot on the further* side; 
across Esquimau point; over the ice-foot again to 



ARRIVAL AT THE BRIG. 325 

the level field of Bedevilled Reach ! All still safe, 
— the most rugged part of our journey is over! 

Whipple now alarmed us by saying that he did 
not suffer ; — he was becoming stupefied by the cold, 
and others of us were rapidly approaching the same 
condition. As we passed God-send Island he fell 
from the sledge, and being at the rear his absence 
was not noticed, even by his driver, until he was a 
hundred yards behind. The sledge returned for 
him, and the teams again rushed on. The track 
was smooth, though devious, and we rapidly neared 
the northern shore of the bay. 

We were soon upon the land-ice under Cape 
Grinnell. The dogs, excited by the unceasing crack- 
ing of the merciless whips, galloped at the top of 
their speed. It was a race of life and death. 

The hull of the dismantled brig at length burst 
into view; and a few minutes afterward we were 
at its side. So much were my senses blunted by 
the cold that I remember scarcely any incident of 
our going on board, except that Dr. Kane met us 
at the gangway, and, grasping me warmly by the 
hand, led us into the fireless, frost-coated cabin. 
It was in the middle of the night, and all hands 
except the watch were sleeping. Ohlsen was the 
first to catch the sound of our coming ; and spring- 
ing from his cot as I entered the door, he folded 
me in his arms; and, after kissing me with Scan- 
dinavian heartiness, he threw me into the warm 
bed which he had just vacated. 

The fire was kindled, and coffee and food were 
served to us. Such necessary attentions as men in 
our condition required, were bestowed upon us to 

28 



326 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

the best of the ability of the sickly crew. Restora- 
tives were applied by Dr. Kane to the frozen. These 
things done, we were put to bed, to sleep away the 
•weariness caused by almost continual exposure dur- 
ing forty hours ; in which time we had travelled 
one hundred and fifty miles, in a temperature eighty 
degrees below freezing. 



There remains little more to be said. The Esqui- 
mau hunters who had served us so well remained at 
the vessel during the following day ; and having 
received many useful presents, and their dogs and 
sledges having been returned to them, they left us 
well pleased. 

Petersen and Bonsall had, for the most part, been 
confined to their beds since their arrival at the brig. 
They had been thoroughly broken down by their 
journey, and they had just begun to move about 
when we surprised them by our sudden appearance. 
It was their intention to go back to Booth Bay 
when their strength should have been recovered, and 
the moon should have come to light them on the 
way. Their experience had much resembled ours. 
After leaving us at the hut they had gone directly to 
Northumberland Island, where, as has been already 
stated, they were joined by Amalatok. Their party 
was afterward increased by the addition of several 
sledges; and, except that they had passed over, in- 



i 



SCURVY. 327 

stead of around Cape Alexander, their route had 
been the same as our own. They had reached the 
brig on the 7th of December. We had been de- 
tained one day longer, in consequence of our going 
to Netlik,, so that we did not come on board until 
three o'clock on the morning of the 12th. 

Dr. Kane gave his bunk for my use, and under his 
skilful care, myself and my companions were soon 
recovered from our fatigue ; and in three days six 
of our number were on active duty. Stephenson 
was suffering from a return of his old complaint, and 
I was kept prostrated by the effects of my accident 
at Cape Alexander. Otherwise we were in excel- 
lent health. In this respect, those who had remained 
at the brig were less fortunate. As had been feared 
they were attacked with scurvy. Every one of them 
was more or less affected by it ; and one half of the 
number were actually down. Our arrival was most 
opportune, as we were enabled to relieve the sick 
of many onerous duties, for which they were physi- 
cally unfit. 

Although deeply regretting our want of success 
in the main object of our undertaking, we could not 
but congratulate ourselves, that at least one good 
had been effected; for, had eighteen persons instead 
of ten been crowded into the narrow cabin of the 
Advance, which had been much contracted in order 
to save fuel, and had they been otherwise subjected 
to the same causes of disease, we could not doubt 
what would soon have been the condition of the en- 
tire company. One of the motives of our temporary 
separation was in this manner proved by actual trial. 
In fact, within a few weeks the returned party were, 



328 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

one by one, stricken down by scurvy, and at length 
there were left only the commander and Mr. Bonsall 
who could regularly attend to the performance of 
the ship's duties. 

The winter passed slowly away. Then spring re- 
turned, with its daylight, sunshine, and increased 
warmth ; fresh food was obtained, chiefly from the 
natives ; and with these aids the people rallied. 
Gradually the gloom which had settled over us was 
dispelled. The carpenter hobbled out to repair the 
boats; and in proportion as our strength increased, 
preparations were carried on for the final abandon- 
ment of the vessel. 

Three boats were at length mounted upon runners, 
for transportation over the ice to open water; and 
on the 17th of May the whole company turned their 
faces southward. Four of the number being unable 
to walk were sent forward in advance to the hut at 
Anoatok, upon the dog-sledge, which during the 
two weeks previous had been constantly employed 
in transporting cargo to the same place. There were 
other members of the party who were able to per- 
form only a moderate share of duty, and these ac- 
companied the boat-sledges in their slow march. 

We were thirty-one days in reaching the open 
water at Cape Alexander, about eighty miles distant 
from the brig. The trials of this tedious journey are 
too well known to need repetition. Had we been in 
vigorous health it could have been performed with- 
out difficulty, and probably in less than one third 
of the time actually consumed. The Esquimaux 
brought fresh food to us, and notwithstanding the 
severe labor we grew stronger day by day. Our 



i 



DEATH OF OHLSEN. 329 

greatest trial was the loss of our brave carpenter, 
Ohlsen, who fell a victim to his zeal. He was per- 
haps the healthiest man in the party when we left 
the brig ; but he injured himself internally by over- 
exertion, and died on the third day afterwards. His 
grave is marked by a pyramid of stones on the east- 
ern side of Littleton Island. 

The boats were launched on the 19th of June, and 
we then set sail for Upernavik. Our progress down 
the coast was slow, and was almost continually em- 
barrassed by the ice, which in many places had not 
yet broken up. Visiting on our way our hut at Booth 
Bay, it was found to have beeti torn to pieces by the 
Esquimaux ; the wood had been carried away, and 
the Ironsides had been wantonly destroyed. 

Upernavik was reached on the 6th of August, 
after an exposure of eighty-one days. There we 
remained until the 6th of September, having in the 
mean time shared the simple though kindly hospi- 
tality of Governor Flaischer, the Missionary Kraigh, 
and the people of the settlement generally. We 
were there met by the Danish brig Marianne, which 
plies annually between this port and Copenhagen; 
and we were received with great kindness by her 
warm-hearted commander, Mr. Ammondson. In 
this brig we took passage for Denmark. Halting 
at Godhavn, the inspectorate of North Greenland, 
we were welcomed by Mr. Olrik, and were there 
overtaken by the ships, which under command of 
Captain Hartstene had been sent to our assistance 
by the government of the United States. Captain 
Hartstene had made a bold and vigorous search for 
us, reaching within fifty miles of ihe winter-quarters 

28* 



330 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

of the Advance; and had abandoned the ground 
only when he learned from the Esquimaux that we 
had gone southward. 

From the accomplished officers of this relief ex- 
pedition we received many attentions, which were 
much needed and were gracefully bestowed. Trans- 
ferring our quarters from the Danish brig to the 
American vessels, we returned in these to the United 
States, and landed in New York October 12th, 1855, 
after an absence of two years four months and thir- 
teen days. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

CONCLUDING REMARKS, 

After such a series of uncomfortable adventures 
as have now been presented to my readers, I cannot 
take leave of them without a word of caution and 
of explanation. 

The reports which have been published of arctic 
exploration, have naturally impressed the minds of 
most persons with images of a character to shock 
the sensibilities of the humane, and to render the 
country about the North Pole as terrible as any of 
the fabled regions which have furnished themes to 
the pens of poets and prose romancers of preceding 
ages. Vast seas covered with masses of ice rushing 
to and fro, threatening to crush the most skilful nav- 
igator — towering bergs ready to overwhelm him 
— dangerous land journeys — cold, piercing to the 
very sources of life — savage beasts, and scarcely 
less savage men — isolation, disease, famine, and 
slow death — such are the elements of the popular 
conception of what is inevitably to be encountered 
by the explorer. Perhaps to many the chief picture 
suggested by the mention of arctic expeditions, is, 
at best, equal in repulsiveness to that described by 
Bulwer : — 



332 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Huddled on deck, one half that hardy crew 
Lie shrunk and withered in the biting sky, 

With filmy stare and lips of livid hue, 
And sapless limbs that stiffen as they lie; 

While the dire pest-scourge of the frozen zone 

Rots through the vein and gnaws the knotted bone.* 

I say that such an impression is natural, partly 
because the expeditions which have particularly at- 
tracted the general notice of the civilized world, have 
been the disastrous ones ; and partly because the 
adventures recorded have been so different in kind 
from those to which our literature has accustomed 
us ; and the scenes have contrasted in so marked a 
manner with those of our climate and habitual mode 
of life, that we are ready for the wildest fancies and 
the most repulsive conclusions. Although the his- 
tory of every age abounds with tales of marvellous 
enterprise, of personal exposure, of hair-breadth 
escapes, and of death in a variety of forms, encoun- 
tered in pursuit of wealth, of fame, or of more chris- 
tian objects, yet none of these — not even the horrors 
of Central Africa as narrated by European travellers, 
appear to excite the dread which is produced by the 
contemplation of the polar circle. 

In such circumstances I may be regarded not only 
as rash, in proposing for the favorable consideration 
of my countrymen another essay into a part of the 
earth so under ban by reason of its assumed inevit- 
able perils, but also as blind to the means of success, 
when I send out through the press, for the criticism 
of the world, a volume which is almost wholly com- 
posed of chapters the most discouraging. Yet I 
trust it will be in the end conceded, on the one 

* King Arthur^ Book ix. c. xiii. 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 333 

hand, that the proposed renewal of American arctic 
exploration is neither rashly nor hastily suggested ; 
and on the other, that the character of the boat 
journey of 1854 is exceptional ; and that it gives 
to us important means by which to discriminate 
the accidental causes of disaster, and to determine 
the real permanent elements of a rational judg- 
ment upon the prudential relations of the whole 
subject. 

It must be remembered that the major part of the 
voyages into the arctic waters, and of the journeys 
over arctic lands, have not even as near a connection 
with the proposal now before the American public, 
as most of the efforts made during many years to 
penetrate the Rocky Mountains, have with the last 
engineer's report upon the route of the Pacific rail- 
road. Tens of thousands of men, women, and 
children, with their household goods, and their herds, 
have travelled safely overland from the Atlantic 
border to the remote region where once the Oregon, 
" heard no sound, save his own dashings " — and to 
the golden shores of the Pacific, not long since un- 
inhabited by white men. They have gone through 
passes which twenty-five years ago were either un- 
known, or had been rendered familiar to us only by 
often perused narratives of appalling dangers en- 
countered by a few half-savage frontier-men. The 
first readers of "Astoria," — even those of the later 
real romances of Fremont, — what could they depict 
to themselves which would be accepted now as a rea- 
sonable guide to our judgment upon the practicabil- 
ity of a journey between the eastern and the western 
limits of our national territory ? The history of our 



334 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

continent everywhere affords similar illustrations. 
What European who heard the first recital of the 
eiforts of Balboa and of Pizarro, could have even im- 
agined the present state of travel and trade across 
the Isthmus of Darien ? What would Lewis and 
Clarke say of possibilities, could they witness the 
population and institutions of the Republic extend- 
ing up the Missouri and its branches towards their 
very head-springs ? The truth is, that, as in all of 
these instances, so in arctic exploration, the way has 
been gradually prepared for an ultimate success which 
is certain. During more than two centuries the north 
circum polar region has been examined successively 
upon every side. England, Holland, France, Spain, 
Portugal, Denmark, Russia, and the United States 
of America, have been competing for the advan- 
tages and the glory of polar enterprise ; and now, as 
the fruit of their expenditure of men, of money, and 
of zeal, we have a map and a history which enable 
us to speak with the positiveness of actual knowl- 
edge in relation to fresh plans of exploration. The 
adventures which have given reputation to Cabot, 
and Baffin, and Hudson, and Barentz, and Behring, 
and to many others whose names are less familiar 
in this country, Vv?^ere necessary antecedents to later 
efforts ; and these, in turn, are to contribute to the 
more fortunate, because still later explorer. 

It must also be remembered that, of the long list 
of arctic voyages, only a small proportion were 
directed towards the Pole ; the others having been 
made in search of a northwestern, or northeastern 
passage to India, with the exception of such as 
were undertaken for the relief of Sir John Frank- 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 335 

lin's party : * and that even those navigators who en- 
deavored to make a due north passage were aiming 
rather at the remote object of oriental communica- 
tion, than at the nearer one of circumpolar discovery. 
Besides, most of the last-mentioned class of adven- 
turers were obliged to adopt their measures with 
scanty information of the physical condition and 
changes of the northern seas ; and of course without 
that birdseye view of the entire arctic ice-belt up to 
a mean latitude of 78°, which is now within the 
reach of every student of physical geography. 

Dr. Kane, whose first voyage as surgeon of the 
expedition under Lieut. De Haven, in 1850, had 
given to him some important information upon the 
currents and ice-movements of Baffin Bay, carefully 
collated such accounts as had been published respect- 
ing the various efforts to penetrate the ice-barrier ; 
and he thus arrived at the conclusion that the 
true route lay up the theretofore unexplored Smith 
Strait, which opens at the head of the bay. The 
Russian navigator and veteran arctic explorer. Baron 
Von Wrangel, had reached the same conclusion, 
which he announced to the Royal Geographical So- 
ciety of London in 1847. The English expeditions 
up Baffin Bay had turned westward into Lancaster 
and Jones Sounds; only one of them, under Capt. 
Inglefield, having entered the mouth of Smith Strait 
as far as latitude 78°. 30'. To America is due the 

* So closely have recent arctic expeditions been associatecl with the 
idea of a rescue of Sir John Franklin, op of the survivors of lii.s company, 
that, for some of my readers, it may not be superfluous to say here, that 
my expedition has no reference whatever to the fortunes of that gallant 
ciiptain and his crew. My course lies in a different direction from theirs, 
as the map will show. 



336 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

credit of having reduced the evidence to practical 
results. The second Grinnell expedition, begun in 
1853, added new proofs to those • previously known 
in favor of the route by Smith Strait; and at the 
present time there is sufficient warrant for asserting 
that it is by this channel that the Pole is to be 
reached. 

I ask now that ray readers shall dismiss all 
thought of the long catalogue of ineffective voy- 
ages ; that they shall as fully divest themselves 
of their prepossessions against arctic adventure as 
beset with perils, and as unproductive of benefit 
to mankind ; especially that they shall guard their 
feelings against the influence of the recent events 
which have aroused the sympathies of the world 
in relation to Sir John Franklin ; and that they 
shall give an impartial attention to the few, well- 
founded, practical considerations which are about 
to be presented to them. 

I shall not begin at Philadelphia, nor at New 
York, nor at Boston, at all of which places the 
associations are unfavorable to a suitable estimate 
of the topics which ought to determine the question 
before us ; and at all of which the mere idea of dis- 
tance tends to augment the imaginary difficulties of 
the case ; but I shall at the outset suppose that we 
are at Upernavik, a Danish settlement on the west- 
ern coast of Greenland, where there is a healthy 
population, with a church, and a school, and a 
governor — a settlement between which and the 
mother-country a vessel plies annually.* Past this 

* A reference to the " Chart of Baffin Bay," which accompanies this 
volume, will render the text clear to the reader. From Upernavik, at the 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 337 

place, at the opening of every summer, go the whal- 
ers, who fish along the west shore of Baffin Bay. 
We shall follow their vessels along the eastern shore 
northward, until we reach the latitude at which they 
usually turn westward across the head of the bay — 
the route pursued by all of the English expeditions, 
with perhaps a single exception. We find that oc- 
casionally some of the whale-ships cross stiil larther 
north, namely, at latitude 77°. Well, here we are in 
the good company of a hearty set of navigators, 
who think it not too great a hardship to come hither 
every year to catch whales. We are within sight of 
the ordinary routine of nautical life ; with the addi- 
tion of a few peculiarities which every seaman with- 
in hail would think it a lubberly weakness to use as 
occasions for pity, or as motives for shrinking, or as 
means to a great reputation. Thus far, then, we are 
within the limits of what is both feasible and pru- 
dent. What is the distance hence in a straight line 
to the latitude of Dr. Kane's winter-quarters in 
1853-54-55 ? Not more than from one hundred 
and twenty to one hundred and eighty miles, a 
large part of which distance is across what is called 

southeast cornei-, to Rensselaer Harbor, near the top of the chart, will be 
found all the principal places and routes. 

At the right hand of the " Chart of the Arctic Regions " is a small map- 
showing the North Water, Smith Strait, and Kennedy Channel as far as 
known. On this are marked Rensselaer Harbor; and, northward fi'om it 
on the western side of the Channel, under Cape Frazei", the author's pro- 
posed winter-quarters. 

The intended course of the new expedition is indicated by a heavy dot- 
ted line up Baffin Bay and Kennedy Channel toward the Pole. 

The northern and southern limits of the ice-belt, as reported by the ex- 
plorers who have appi-oached it on all sides, have been laid down in con- 
formity with their accounts. Between the northern limit of this belt and 
the Pole there is satisfactory reason for believing that the temperature 
rises, as we go northward ; and that the sea is never completely closed. 



338 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

" The North Water," because it is mainly free from 
ice during most of the year. 

So "beset" have been the conceptions of most 
of my acquaintances, by the influences of habitual 
association, that I am prepared for the surprise 
which this simple statement will produce on the 
part of my present readers ; yet I am giving ex- 
pression only to what will be readily sustained by 
every navigator of the head of Baffin Bay. " How 
then are we to account for the failure of Dr. Kane 
to reach the North Pole — how account for the gen- 
eral impression that efforts in this direction are un- 
promising and rash ? " The only answer to such 
questions is to be found in the effect of narratives 
of ill-directed previous effort, and in the peculiar 
causes which thwarted the purposes of the second 
Grinnell expedition. These causes, which are alto- 
gether independent of previous experience, and of 
the skill of the commander, shall be plainly stated. 

Smith Strait, which discharges its waters from the 
direction of the Pole, enters Baffin Bay southwest- 
erly; but its continuation northward of Rensselaer 
Harbor, Kennedy Channel, has a southerly flow.* 
Dr. Kane, whose movements, having no precedent, 
were experimental, entered upon the eastern or 
"^ Greenland side ; he was thus exposed to the south- 
erly drift of ice, by which he was speedily blocked 
in. The pressure of the current raised the ice north- 
ward of his harbor into hummocks, which rendered 
every attempt at exploration so fatiguing both to 
men and dogs, as to speedily defeat the most strenu- 

* See the small map of these passages at the side of the " Chart of the 
Arctic Regions." 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 330 

ous efforts to advance up the channel. The trip to 
the west side of the channel upon which I was 
ordered, and which has been mentioned in the intro- 
ductory chapter, enabled me to observe the circum- 
stances to which the company of the Advance owed 
their detention ; and also to verify my present con- 
viction, that on that side a good harbor exists for a 
vessel, from which parties can proceed successfully 
towards the Pole. The projection of land now 
known as Cape Frazer affords an ample bulwark 
against the southern drift of ice ; and thence the 
travel of dog-sledges is free from the obstructions 
which rendered abortive the most resolute attempts 
of Dr. Kane and his officers and men who strove to 
find a way towards the object of the expedition. 

It is known to the readers of Dr. Kane's narrative 
that he ceased the prosecution of his purpose only 
when the failure of suitable food and fuel had 
rendered his crew incapable of further effort. His 
departure from New York was delayed by his sick- 
ness so long, that, upon reaching the shores of Green- 
land, he was unable to take the time necessary for 
provisioning his vessel with fresh supplies of meat 
from the birds which frequent the neighboring isl- 
ands, and with the eggs which might otherwise 
have been procured in large quantities. Yet, after 
exertions which would suffice to acquit him towards 
the chief promoters of his enterprise, and towards 
the world, he succeeded in the month of June, 1854, 
in ascertaining the existence of open water, begin- 
ning northward of the Smith Strait ice-belt, in lati- 
tude 80° 20', and continuing thence in the direction 
of the Pole, nearly one and a half degrees, to the 



340 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

horizon of actual vision from the last point of ob- 
servation. 

Let us suppose now that we remove from the 
question those particulars of difficulty, which the 
experience of the second Grinnell expedition has 
proved to be easily avoidable. 

First, we shall have no scurvy. For support of 
this assertion I shall quote from a paper read by me 
before the " American Association for the Advance- 
ment of Science," at its Baltimore session in May, 
1858. 

" The scurvy, hitherto often a great scourge to the 
crews of vessels wintering in the arctic regions, can, 
with proper precaution, be resisted, and in this opin- 
ion I am sustained by the . united testimony of the 
surgeons of Her Majesty's Arctic Squadron. The 
disease has been of very rare occurrence of late 
years, and wherever it has appeared, it has been 
owing to accidental causes, but chiefly from the 
long continued use of salt-meat diet, — either in 
consequence of the parties never having been pro- 
vided with any other standard supplies of food, or of 
their having so long remained in the field as to have 
consumed their fresh stores. Indeed, I am convinced 
that the climate is one of unusual healthfulness. 
The suffering from the disease among Dr. Kane's 
crew was mainly owing to the above-mentioned 
cause. He started too early to profit fully by the 
discoveries which have been made in the art of pre- 
serving, fresh, meats and vegetables, and with the 
exception of a limited quantity of pemmican, — in- 
tended for use in the field, — he had to depend upon 
the ordinary navy ration, without change or varia- 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 341 

tion. Casual supplies of fresh food were obtained 
by the hunt or in barter with the natives, and when 
procured, invariably enabled his men to resist the 
disease, or, if developed, it acted as an immediate 
and specific cure. The difficulty experienced in 
keeping alive his dogs was chiefly owing to the ab- 
sence of a diet suited to their necessities. The salt 
of the meat acted injuriously upon them, and the 
insufficient quantities which they could eat did not 
enable them successfully to resist the cold; and a 
strange epilepto-tetanoidal disease was in conse- 
quence developed among them. The same was 
observable among his crew, and doubtless for the 
same reason." 

I shall carry at the outset enough pemmican, pre- 
served vegetables, fruits, and other suitable stores, to 
prevent the evil effects of salted food upon both men 
and dogs ; and at the Danish islands and settlements 
food of bird, reindeer, and other flesh will be pro- 
cured in sufficient quantity to guard the consump- 
tion of the artificially prepared meats. 

A remarkable illustration of the value of these 
supplies is to be found in the experience of the boat 
journey of 1854. The party which I accompanied, 
and that which remained at the brig, were in the 
same state of health at the time of separating. The 
latter had the advantages of shelter in the vessel, — 
of freedom from the necessity for exertion dispropor- 
tionate to their strength, — of fuel, and abundance 
of food. The former were exposed to the severest 
hardships, — were upon the lowest allowance of food 
consistent with the maintenance of life, — were with- 
out suitable shelter, and almost without fuel, — were 

29* 



342 AN AECTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

compelled to undergo the greatest labor; and yet, 
wholly by reason of their having obtained fresh ani- 
mal and vegetable food, though in scanty measure, 
they returned free from scurvy to Rensselaer Harbor, 
where they found their comrades prostrated by that 
disease. Within a few weeks after their return, 
every man was stricken down by the same cause. 
Secondly, we shall not be embarrassed by the 
COLD. It has been shown by innumerable examples, 
that the extreme rigor of the arctic winter can be 
safely encountered by white men, if they be suffi- 
ciently fed, and if they live according to the customs 
of the climate. It is not however during the winter 
that attempts are generally made to push forward ; 
but between the middle of March and the middle of 
July. Dr. Rae, — whose remarkable journey overland 
to latitude 69° is before the public, and who was the 
first to bring to us tidings of the relics of Sir John 
Franklin's party, from the neighborhood of King 
William's Land and Montreal Island, where Cap- 
tain M'Clintock has recently found the verification of 
the sad story, if not its conclusion, — has personally 
informed me that during the months of April and 
May, in so high a latitude as from 66° 35' (the posi- 
tion of his winter snow-hut at the head of Repulse 
Bay) to 69°, the whole stock of extra clothing and 
bedding for his entire travelling party of five persons 
weighed only twenty-five pounds. In Rensselaer 
Harbor, except in the months from December to 
March, almost the only external protection used by 
myself and companions when on out-door duty, was 
a pilot-cloth coat; and, even during the period of 
maximum depression, we frequently exposed our- 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 343 

selves with impunity to the most severe tempera- 
tures, when the air was calm, clothed in a very ordi- 
nary suit of thick fabric, without any furs whatever. 
The thermometer, during the period of our active 
service in the field in the performance of our ex- 
plorations, was often as high as 35° and 40°, and 
on one occasion it reached 54° above zero. During 
the severer portions of the year the thermometer 
sometimes, (though rarely,) sank to 60° below zero ; 
but the narrative of Dr. Kane proves conclusively 
that the difficulties of arctic adventure do not result 
from that fact ; and the boat journey of which the 
story has just been told, bears ample testimony of 
the same kind.* 

I speak positively, because I fear no contradiction 
when I say, that every navigator of the northern 
seas knows that the cold alone is not a serious im- 
pediment to their exploration, provided that suita- 
ble food, and even the shelter of a snow-hut, be se- 
cured.! Besides ; all of my companions can testify 
that the wind blowing from the northward frequent- 
ly brought to us a moderation of temperature ; J the 

* See Dr. Kane's narrative, vol. ii. p. 78. After stating that the tem- 
perature had been as low as from 40° to 56° below zero, he adds, " but my 
experience of last year in the rescue-party, where Ave travelled eigh'ty 
miles in sixty odd hours, almost without a halt, yet without a frost-bite, 
shows that such temperatui-es are no obstacle to travel, provided you 
have the necessary practical knowledge of the equipment and conduct of 
your party. I firmly believe that no natural cold as yet known can arrest 
travel. The whole story of the winter illustrates it." 

+ It is desirable to avoid inappi-opriate contrasts between the effect of a 
comfortable parlor in latitude 40°, with a glowing anthracite fire, and the 
lowest degree of cold among the Esquimaux. It must not be_ forgotten 
that a range from 20° to 40° below zero, occurs in portions of the United 
States, without preventing the ordinary avocations of the inhabitants. 

t In confirmation of this fact, see Pi-ofessor Bache's letter in the Ap- 
pendix. 



344 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

wild-fowl, which draw their subsistence from the 
ocean, flew northward to find open water near which 
to build their nests ; and Morton and the Esquimau 
lad Hans, killed, northward of Rensselaer Harbor, 
two bears, animals which cannot subsist near an ice- 
bound sea. The fresh skins, brought to the ship, 
vouched the truth of the report of the killing. A 
rapid southward current brought no ice. From 
about latitude 80° 20' there was an unobstructed 
sea toward the Pole. The water was in one locality 
36° and in another 40° above zero. Even the scien- 
tific theory of the relation between the magnetic 
poles and the poles of extreme temperature, confirm 
this view of the subject. There is no authenticated 
experience to the contrary. It is therefore no longer 
merely conjectural that the cold will be found to di- 
minish as we proceed northward from the old quar- 
ters of the Advance ; and evin if it were otherwise, 
there is nothing in any conceivable state of the facts 
to deter a prudent man from an enterprise of the 
kind in question. 

Will the reader endeavor to find a reason to prove 
that enterprise impracticable or rash ? Is it the 
NATURE OF THE 'COUNTRY ? The reader is now 
aware that, as far as Cape Roquette, latitude 80°, 
(ninety-six miles northward of the latitude of the 
Advance's quarters,) the western coast has been sur- 
veyed by myself, my observations extending down 
the coast from that cape nearly to the mouth of 
Smith Strait ; and it is a fact that all of the indi- 
cations within that survey were such as to promise 
a safe line of travel.* Again ; between the 4th of 

* So impressed was the commander with the value of these indications, 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 345 

June and the 4th of July, 1854, Morton, accompa- 
nied by Hans, and with a team of seven dogs, suc- 
ceeded in travelling up the eastern coast to about 
latitude 81°, and in returning to the ship ; and their 
journey was at an unfavorable period, and in a most 
inconvenient state of the ice. On the other hand, it 
must not be forgotten that for the main effort now 
proposed, due preparation is to be made. The har- 
bor proposed for the vessel is under Cape Frazer, on 
the western side of the strait, in a port which has 
been examined by me, and from which she will be 
liberated upon the breaking up and southward flow 
of the ice, which annually recurs. 

" Early in the spring, the shores of Grinnell Land 
will be lined with depots of provisions, as far north 
as latitude 82°, where a final cache will be estab- 
lished for the use of the polar boat-party ; these 
stores to be carried forward by the dogs. One of 
these animals will drag upon a sledge a weight of 
seventy pounds thirty-two miles per day, upon an 
average ration of thirteen ounces of pemmican, — 
equal to about three pounds of dried meat ; and 
two teams of seven each could readily carry forward 
ample stores for a full boat's crew of six persons. 
This crew should set out with their boat from the 
vessel in April. Within one hundred and fifty miles 
they would probably, as I have said, meet the open 
water by the middle of May or the first of June. 

" The rough ice which baffled Dr. Kane's par- 
ties, as above observed, can be in a great measure 

that he said, " Had I succeeded in pushing my party across the bay, our 
success would have been unequalled ; it was the true plan, the best con- 
ceived, and in fact the only one by which, after the death of my dogs, I 
could hope to cai-ry on the search." — Vol. 11. p. 78. 



346 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

avoided by avoiding the crossing of Smith Strait; 
and Kennedy Channel having a due north trend, and 
presenting no salient capes like the remarkable pro- 
jection of Western Greenland, will, I have no 
doubt, be found mostly smooth. Such a track pre- 
sents great facilities for travel. One man will read- 
ily walk sixteen miles per day, dragging from one 
hundred to one hundred and twenty pounds in 
weight. Dr. Kae conducted a party six hundred 
miles in twenty-two days, each of his men trailing 
after him, upon an Iroquois sledge, one hundred and 
ten pounds. They carried a single blanket and 
change of under-clothing per man, but no tent, 
using for periodic rest the snow-hut of the Esqui- 
maux. These huts are readily constructed, and 
upon them I shall place my sole reliance while upon 
the ice. Indeed, the amount of labor which can be 
performed by a skilful use of very simple means is 
truly astonishing ; and in spite of the cold and pov- 
erty of the ice-deserts, Kennedy, M'Clintock, Bellot, 
Sutherland, Pim, Mecham, Osborne, Richards,* and 

* Commander M'Clintock, during his foot-journey from Dealy Island 
(the winter-quarters of Captain Kellet in the Resolute) to the northwest 
coast of Prince Patrick Island, was absent from the ship 105 days, and 
travelled 1408 miles, or, deducting for various detentions, aboixt fourteen 
miles per day. During the early part of the journey (April 16th) the 
temperature was as low as 24° below zero. The weight upon the sledge, 
which was dragged by his men, for a portion of the time equalled one ton, 
or 280 pounds per man. Lieut. Mecham, from the same ship, was absent 
94 days, and travelled 1163 miles. This same energetic officer subse- 
quently performed a foot-journey of 1336 miles in 70 days, or 61g- days of 
actual travel, averaging over twenty-one miles per day; thus equalling 
the most successful dog-sledge journey of Baron Wrangel, who, in 1823, 
travelled over the frozen sea from Nishne Kolymsk to Koliutschin Island 
and back, a distance of 2300 wersts (1537 miles), in 78 days. Wrangel 
was, however, subjected to many perplexing delays, and sometimes made 
more than sixty miles per day. The collective foot-journeys of the officers 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 347 

many others of the numerous corps of their gallant 
co-laborers, have performed journeys which for ex- 
tent would reflect honorably upon them as foot trav- 
ellers in a more favored region." * 

Both boats and sledges will be taken in accord- 
ance with the results of former trials. If the entire 
space to the Pole should be covered with fast ice, 
some of the most experienced explorers are of opin- 
ion that the Pole can be reached on sledges without 
difficulty. Captain Parry's attempt in this mode 
was defeated only by his having selected a route 
which exposed him to the full force of the great 
southern ice-drift.f Every undertaking of previous 
navigators has served to cut off* sources of error and 
disappointment ; and now that for the first time in 
the history of arctic exploration, a way is opened to 
us, not only free from the obstacles which have pre- 
vented earlier success, but offering inducements such 
as have been presented in connection with no other 
route, it is surely not the time to pronounce against 
the whole design as impracticable. 

The distance, in a direct line from my proposed 
starting-point at Cape Frazer, to the North Pole, is 

and men of Capt. Kellet's division of the British Arctic Squadron in the 
spring of 1853 alone, amount to 7,276 miles. 

* From the paper read before the American Association, May, 1858, 
previously referred to. 

t Dr. Rae is of opinion that such a journey is clearly feasible over 
ice. He has so infoi-med me. 

It is important to bear in mind that the attempt to reach the Pole is not 
wholly dependent tipon the circumpolar waters being free from ice. How- 
ever the question of an open sea may be determined, there remains ample 
reason for regarding my attempt as feasible. Even the single question, 
whether the sea is open or not, is sufficient to engage the profound interest 
of geographers. Prof. A. Dallas Bache calls it the " great geographical 
question of the day." (See his letter in the Appendix.) 



348 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

only about seven hundred miles, — scarcely greater 
than that travelled by myself and companions, going 
and returning, in 1854. Dr. Kane and his entire 
brig's company, in the spring and summer of 1855, 
in two crazy boats, and beset with extraordinary 
perils, reached Upernavik from Rensselaer Harbor, 
making, with the necessary dStours, a third more 
miles than lie between my starting-place and the 
Pole. The reader of his narrative, and of that con- 
tained in this volume, will have seen that both of 
these journeys were accomplished by broken-down 
men, in the midst of circumstances the most dis- 
couraging. Of my own, it will be remembered that 
more than three hundred miles, or nearly one half 
the polar distance, were overcome in the arctic win- 
ter night, with a temperature as low as fifty degrees 
below zero ; and that no serious harm occurred to 
any member of the party. Let a comparison be 
made of all the peculiarities of the cases : — on the 
one side abundant food, clothing, shelter, relief of 
dogs, choice of season and state of the ice, a full 
force of men in healthy condition, a ship snugly 
harbored for a wnnter retreat; on the other, all of 
the elements of feebleness, and the worst phases of 
physical embarrassment ; and it must be a timorous 
spirit which can still confound the arguments so as 
to make the cases parallel. So long ago as 1616, 
when scarcely anything was known of the northern 
seas, Baffin and Bylot sailed, with a little vessel of 
only fifty-five tons, to within seventy miles of the 
latitude of Rensselaer Harbor. After all that has 
been discovered, shall it be said that an Ameri- 
can, in 1860, after an experimental visit to the 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 349 

very region of his proposed operations, cannot 
make his way over seven hundred miles, with the 
outfit and other advantages which have been de- 
scribed ? 

Is the reader staggered merely by the naked 
fact that Dr. Kane, after attaining to Kennedy 
Channel, found himself compelled to return 
to the United States without accomplishing 
MORE northerly DISCOVERY ? Thc narrative of that 
commander contains a statement of the causes of 
his disappointment, not one of which can be applied 
to a new expedition in the same direction. If he 
could have known, before sailing from New York, 
what we have learned only through his adventure ; 
or if, when the same facts came to his knowledge, 
he could have been supplied with fresh food and 
fuel, and thus have been enabled to pass another 
season in the region, he would doubtless have left 
nothing to be accomplished by a successor between 
Smith Strait and the Pole. 

It is my misfortune to be obliged to contend 
against the impression naturally produced by events 
which are purely exceptional : such as the boat jour- 
ney towards Beechy Island, in 1854, and those tow- 
ards Upernavik, in 1854 and 1855 ; and such as 
have occurred during the search for Sir John Frank- 
lin. The materials are before the reader for a better 
estimate ; and I cannot but hope that, from this 
volume alone, he ^\dll have gathered such facts as 
may serve to convince him that the incidents which 
have most affected his feelings, in connection with 
arctic voyages, are not legitimate tests of the gen- 
eral character of circumpolar experience ; that they 

30 



350 AN AKCTIC BOAT JOUENEY. 

are, in truth, exceptional ; and that there is now no 
probability of their recurrence. 

While the civilized world is encouraging and ap- 
plauding the enterprise of men like Barth and Liv- 
ingstone, in tropical Africa, whose exposure involves 
a greater variety of risks than await the arctic 
voyager, shall the latter be discouraged from an 
undertaking, the conditions of whose success have 
been made known by our countryman ? * 

Does the reader question the utility of the pro- 
posed discoveries ? Happily on this head I am 
spared the hazard of any reflections of my own. 
The subject has been maturely considered by the 
leading scientific associations of the United States ; 
whose conclusions, expressed by a large number of 
our most eminent citizens, are to the effect that the 
objects contemplated are not only important to man- 
kind, but are such as warrant a full sanction and 
a hearty encouragement of my expedition. Their 
Reports and Resolutions will be found in the Ap- 
pendix. 

So convincing to myself have been the actual 
observations made of the intended field of opera- 
tions, that I should experience a feeling of mortifica- 
tion at the line of argument which has been fol- 
lowed in this concluding chapter, were I not aware 
of the peculiar causes which have tended to mis- 
lead the public mind in relation to the dangers of 

* A gentleman who, during several years, prosecuted, alone, journeys 
from the west coast of Africa into the interior, about the Gaboon and 
other rivers, has, I hesitate not to say, exposed himself to more risks than 
3an be even plausibly connected with the line of discovery up Kennedy 
Channel. M. Duchailhi went without a companion, and purely as a vol- 
unteer, for the collection of specimens of natural history. 



CONCLUDING KEMARKS. 351 

northern expeditions. These causes justify the hesi- 
tation which was manifested in former years ; but, 
now that the truth has been made known by so 
many reliable observers, is it too sanguine a dispo- 
sition which leads me to believe that I shall see 
again the little flag which I planted upon the coast 
of Grinnell Land ? 



APPENDIX. 



30* 



APPENDIX, • 



PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES 



RELATIVE TO 



DR. HAYES' PROPOSED ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



THE AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL SOCIETY. 
[From the Report of the Council for 1857.] 

"Dr. Hayes of Philadelphia, who formed one of the 
heroic band, accompanying Dr. Kane in his last attempt to 
penetrate to the still mysterious regions round the Pole, has 
read to the Society a paper full of valuable details, in which 
he proposed to renew this attempt. Experience was shown 
to have done much to prepare the way for success in this 
noble endeavor. As Dr. Hayes expressed the intention of 
devoting himself to this object, and of employing time and 
effort in awakening the minds of our countrymen in regard 
to it, this endeavor may be considered to be one of those 
objects to which our attention will be in the future continu- 
ously directed, through the section having in charge the sub- 
ject of Topography." 

[From the " Journal " of the Society for January, 1868.] 

"Second Meeting, Dec. 16, 1858. —I. I. Hayes, M. D. 
of Philadelphia, (late Surgeon to the Second Grinnell Arctic 
Expedition,) read a paper on the ' Polar Discoveries of Dr. 



356 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Kane, and a Plan for further Researcli.' On motion of Mr. 
ViEL^, seconded by Mr. Henry Grinnell, it was unan- 
imously 

" Resolved, That the American Geographical Society 
cordially approve, and indorse the plan of Doctor Hayes 
for a continuation of the exploration and surveys of the Polar 
Seas, deeming it due alike to the cause of science and our 
national character, that the discoveries of the Grinnell ex- 
pedition, reported by Dr. Kane, should not be disputed or 
ignored, without an effort being made to confirm the results 
achieved by our gallant countrymen. 

" Resolved, That a committee of five members of this 
Society be appointed to cooperate with Dr. Hayes in the 
organization of the Expedition proposed by him; which 
committee shall report, from time to time, the progress of 
the organization, and shall give due notice of the time fixed 
for the departure of the Expedition. 

" A vote of thanks was tendered to Dr. Hayes, and a copy 
of his paper requested for the archives of the Society." 

Third Meeting, January 6, 1859. — In accordance 
with the resolution adopted at the last meeting of the Society, 
the President appointed Egbert L. Viele, Esq., Henry 
Grinnell, Esq., Hon. August Belmont, Marshall 
Lefperts, Esq., Henry E. Pierrepont, Esq., a special 
committee " to cooperate with Dr. Hayes in his plan for fur- 
ther research into the arctic regions." 



II. 

THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT 
OF SCIENCE. 

Baltimore, May 3, 1858. — At half-past one o'clock, 
p. M., Dr. 1. 1. Hayes delivered in general session a paper 
on the practicability of reaching the North Pole. A vote of 



APPENDIX. 357 

thanks having been passed upon motion of Prof. Wm. B. 
Rogers, seconded by Prof. A. Dallas Bache, Prof. 
Hitchcock moved the following resolution : — 

" Resolved, That a special committee of seven be ap- 
pointed by the Chair to inquire and report at this session 
upon the expediency of having a committee of the Associa- 
tion to cooperate with Dr. Hayes in reference to an Expedi- 
tion to the North Polar Sea." 

The resolution having been adopted, the Chair appointed 
the following gentlemen as members of the committee : — 

Prof. Edward Hitchcock, Prof. Joseph Henry, Prof. 
A. Dallas Bache, Hon. Thomas Ev^^ng, Prof. James 
D. Dana, and Hon. Thomas Swann. 



Bal^timore, May 4, 1858. — "The committee to whom 
was referred the subject of Dr. I. I. Hayes' proposed Expe- 
dition to the Arctic Seas report, that, — 

" 1. The question of the open Polar Sea, its limits and 
character, is the most interesting of those remaining to be 
completely solved in arctic geography. 

" 2. The statements of Dr. Hayes, surgeon to Doctor 
Kane's Second Grinnell Expedition, make it probable, that, 
with moderate means and appliances, this problem may be 
completely solved. 

"3. The indirect results readily obtained by such an ex- 
pedition in regard to the magnetism, tides, currents, meteo- 
rology, geology, and natural history of the arctic regions, and 
the peculiar phenomena of glaciers and icebergs, and the 
ethnology, are of themselves of such importance as to de- 
mand further research. 

" 4. Dr. Hayes is desirous of devoting himself to this line 
of exploration, in the difficulties, hardships, and dangers of 
which he has, when serving with the lamented Kane, had 
full experience. 

. " 5. Therefore, this special committee recommends to the 
Association the passage of the following resoljition : — 



358 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

" Resolved, That a committee of fifteen members of the 
American Association be appointed to cooperate with Dr. 
Hayes in his efforts to organize another expedition for arctic 
research. Edward Hitchcock, Ghairmanr 

The report having been unanimously adopted, the follow- 
ing committee was appointed by the Chair in accordance with 
its recommendation : — 

'Prof. A. D. Bache, Prof Joseph Henry, Prof. W. B. 
RooERS, Prof Edward Hitchcock, Prof Benjamin 
Peirce, Prof J. D. Dana, Prof Joseph Winlock, Hon. 
Thomas Ewing, Hon. D. M. Barringer, Dr. J. L. Le 
Conte, Prof J. E. HiLGARD, Peter Force, Esq., Prof 
Joseph Leidy, Dr. John Torrey, Prof S. S. Haldeman. 

On motion of Prof Bache, Prof Caswell, the Presi- 
dent of the Association, was added to the committee on arctic 
exploration. 



HI. 

THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 
[From the " Proceedings " of the Society for 1858.] 

" Stated Meeting, May 7, 1858. — A letter was read 
from Dr. Isaac I. Hayes, proposing to make an attempt to 
reach the north pole of the earth, and requesting to be in- 
formed of any measures which in the judgment of the Society 
it will be expedient for him to adopt, to promote the advance- 
ment of any of the sciences for whose interests it labors. 

" Dr. Le Conte offered the following resolutions which were 
read, considered, and adopted : — 

" Resolved, That the Society receives with much grati- 
fication the announcement made by Dr. I. I. Hayes, of his 
purpose to attempt a further exploration of the arctic re- 



APPENDIX. 359 

gions, and, if practicable, to reach the north pole of the 
earth. 

" Resolved, That in the opinion of this Society, such an 
exploration merits the zealous cooperation of the scientific 
men of the United States, and that, at a convenient time, the 
Society will communicate to Dr. Hayes such suggestions 
respecting the promotion of its objects as may be considered 
useful : 

" Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed, to 
cooperate with the committee recently appointed with refer- 
ence to this subject by the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, and to take such measures from 
time to time, in behalf of this Society as shall be deemed 
expedient." 

"Stated Meeting, October 1, 1858. — The commit- 
tee appointed on the 7th of May last, on the subject of fur- 
ther arctic explorations, by Dr. I. I. Hayes, made the fol- 
lowing Report : — 

" ' The committee to whom was referred the subject of the 
arctic exploration proposed by Dr. I. I. Hayes, respectfully 
report, — 

" ' That, beside any reflections of their own upon that sub- 
ject, they find in previous proceedings of the Society ample 
warrant for the opinion, that the verification of the alleged 
open sea about the North Pole, and the probable contributions 
to be made from that region of the earth to the collections 
of science, constitute sufficient reasons for an earnest interest 
on the part of the Society, in any reasonable attempt to com- 
plete our knowledge in these respects by further exploration. 
After the signal manifestations which have been given by 
men of science throughout the world, of their estimate of the 
importance of circumpolar discovery ; and with the advan- 
tage of recent reports, from a high latitude, received from 
our lamented fellow-member, the late Dr. Kane, whose 
efforts were accompanied by warm solicitude on the part 



360 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

of the Society, your committee have believed it proper to 
confine themselves to a consideration of the grounds upon 
which Dr. Hayes rests his conviction of the practicability 
and seasonableness of his proposal. These have been al- 
ready briefly submitted to the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, and have received a very prompt 
acceptance by that body, the members of which referred the 
subject to a committee, with instructions to cooperate with 
Dr. Hayes. They have been also published through the 
Smithsonian Institution, at an invitation from which. Dr. 
Hayes announced them in one of the lectures of its last 
course. Nevertheless, your committee think proper to men- 
tion the principal of them as forming the basis of their own 
conclusion, that the proposal in question is sustained by suffi- 
cient evidence of its feasibility to engage the continued atten- 
tion of the Society. 

" ' It is well known that one result of voyages of explora- 
tion prior to that of Dr. Kane, was the establishment of an 
opinion that a barrier of ice surrounded the Pole ; and that 
in order to reach open water, if such existed, a way must be 
found through, or over the barrier. Dr. Kane, after an in- 
telligent consideration of the discoveries already reported, 
aided by the illustrations derived from his personal observa^ 
tion during his first visit to the arctic circle, concluded, that 
the most practicable course lay up Smith Strait, which he 
accordingly followed upon his second voyage. The difficul- 
ties encountered by him were such, that, after many gallant 
efforts, he was compelled to return to the United States with- 
out becoming an eye-witness to the physical condition of the 
region towards which his labors tended. It seemed therefore 
proper for your committee to inquire whether those difficul- 
ties were clearly of so constant a nature in relation to all 
similar attempts, as to render it prudent on the part of the 
Society to avoid encouragement of a project which his expe- 
rience may have shown to be impracticable. It appears that 
the most important impediments to his complete success were 



APPENDIX. 361 

" ' 1st. The arresting of his vessel and her permanent con- 
finement by the ice, in a situation which was unfavorable to 
the efforts of his exploring parties. This occurred in a bay- 
to the south of Kennedy Channel, with an exposure to the 
main pressure of ice, which accumulated in hummocks on the 
north of his position ; and thus the labor necessary to any 
exploration towards the Pole, was in disproportion to the 
strength of his crew, and the resources at his command. 
On the west side of the channel, under the cover of the pro- 
jecting land visited by Dr. Hayes, (to the most prominent 
point of which the name Cape Frazer was given,) the ice is 
reported as free from the impediments above stated ; and a 
good harbor is reported to exist for wintering a ship, with 
egress by the opening of the channel, or through leads in the 
ice during the arctic summer. The account published by 
Dr. Kane, shows how large a proportion of the sufferings 
and disappointments of his exploring parties was due to the 
position into which he was forced. 

" ' 2d. The want of fresh provisions. The unavoidable 
delay of Dr. Kane's departure from New York beyond the 
period proposed by him, prevented his collecting, near the 
Danish settlements in Greenland, the fresh stores which 
abound in that neighborhood. Originally contemplating a 
single year's work, he was detained beyond his expectation, 
with scanty supplies, until his men, worn out by excessive 
labor, and restricted mainly to a salt diet, became the victims 
of fearful assaults of scurvy. His narrative shows how much 
of his disappointment is due to this cause. His dogs, in- 
dispensable auxiliaries, were unable to subsist upon salted 
meats ; and thus the entire stress of the work fell upon an 
ill-conditioned ship's company. Dr. Hayes proposes to give 
two years to his exploration. The first of these he designs to 
employ in reaching his head-quarters at or near Cape Fra- 
zer ; and in establishing thence northward, on the west side 
of Kennedy Channel, secure depots of provisions, as far as 
the latitude assigned by Morton to the open water reported 

31 



362 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

bj hira, or further, if necessary ; and in explorations pre- 
liminary to the main attempt. The second year, or such 
portion of it as may be sufficient, Dr. Hayes appropriates to 
the ascertainment of the condition of the polar adjacencies, 
and to such observations as may be most important to sci- 
ence. Thus the expedition of Dr. Kane, which may 
seem to discourage further attempts in the same direction, 
is viewed by Dr. Hayes as really furnishing the knowledge 
which promises final success. Your committee concur in 
this view. 

" ' In such circumstances, your committee cannot doubt 
that it is proper for the American Philosophical Society to 
cooperate with Dr. Hayes, in such manner as may be con- 
formable with its usages in like cases ; and especially to give 
to him the benefit of such systematic instruction as may best 
further the general purposes of the Society in the discovery 
and diff^usion of useful knowledge. 

" ' Your committee respectfully submit the following reso- 
lution : — 

" ' Resolved, That a committee of nine members of the 
Society be appointed to cooperate with Dr. Hayes in his 
proposed extension of arctic exploration, and to give to him, 
on the part of the Society, such instructions as may best pro- 
mote its objects. 

"' ' All of which is respectfully submitted. 

Wm. Parker Foulke, 

Stephen Colwell, 

R. E. Rogers, 

Wm. S. W. Ruschenberoer, 
" The resolution accompanying the report was adopted, 
and the presiding officer authorized to appoint the committee, 
and announce it at a future meeting." 

Stated Meeting, May 6, 1859. — The following named 
members were appointed a committee to cooperate with Dr. 
I. I. Hayes in further arctic exploration : — 



Committee* 



APPENDIX. 363 

Wm. Parker Foulke, Esq., Prof. Robert E. Rogers, 
Isaac Lea, Esq., Dr. John L. Leconte, Prof. E. Otis 
Kendall, Prof. J. P. Lesley, Rev. Albert Barnes, 
D. D., Hon. Edward King, Prof. J. C. Cresson. 



IV. 

THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 

[From the "Proceedings" of the Academy for 1858.] 

Meeting of the Academy, May 11, 1858. — "A com- 
munication was read from Dr. Isaac I. Hayes, announcing 
his desire to attempt a further exploration of the arctic 
regions, and asking for such suggestions from the Academy 
as might assist in carrying out the project; whereupon the 
following resolutions were adopted : — 

" Resolved, That the Academy has heard with - great 
interest the communication of Dr. Isaac I. Hayes, of his 
purpose to attempt a further exploration of the arctic 
regions : 

" Resolved, That the Academy will hereafter give to 
Dr. Hayes such recommendations respecting the objects pro- 
posed by him, as shall be deemed most likely to promote the 
objects of the Academy : 

" Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed 
to cooperate in behalf of the Academy with Dr. Hayes." 

The committee was then appointed as follows : — 

Prof John F. Frazer, Dr. T. B. Wilson, Isaac Lea, 
Esq., Wm. Parker Foulke, Esq., Dr. J. L. Leconte, 
Prof Jos. Leidy, Dr. William S. W. Ruschenberger, 
U. S. N. 

Subsequently, on motion, Elias Durand, Esq., and Prof. 
Joseph Carson, were added to the committee. 



364 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

Meeting of the Academy, July 6, 1858. — " On leave 
granted, the committee appointed to confer with Dr. Hayes 
in regard to his proposed Arctic Exploration, presented a 
Report as follows : — 

"That the exploration contemplated by Dr. Hayes ap- 
pears to deserve the encouragement of all individuals or 
societies who possess an interest in the advancement of 
science, and especially of those who cultivate the various 
branches of Natural History, for the following reasons : 

" 1st. The interesting problem of the existence of an open 
Polar Sea cannot as yet be considered as satisfactorily 
solved ; as is made manifest by the doubts recently expressed 
by a distinguished geographer, in a memoir read before the 
Royal Geographical Society of London. Yet this problem 
is so intimately connected with theories of climate, not only 
in that region, but over a very large portion of the northern 
hemisphere, that its definite solution must be considered as 
of the utmost importance to the study of geography ; and it 
is not impossible that its investigation may lead to valuable 
results of a more commercial nature. It seems probable, 
therefore, that this subject will attract the attention of other 
nations, who are engaged in an honorable rivalry with us in 
promoting the knowledge of the surface of the earth, and 
it is highly desirable that the credit of furnishing the defi- 
nite solution should belong to the nation to whose energy 
and enterprise the interesting results already obtained are 
due. 

" 2d. The natural history of this extensive region remains, 
as yet, almost entirely unknown ; while, from the peculi- 
arities of its climate, and its proximity to the land of the 
eastern hemisphere, it seems certain that much valuable 
information as to the habits of animals and plants, and the 
connection of our Faunas and Floras, both ancient and 
modern, with those of Europe and Asia, may be gained by 
such an exploration as is here contemplated. 



APPENDIX. 365 

" 3d. The excessive difficulties and hardships of such an 
exploration, serve to deter any but the most adventurous 
spirits from undertaking it ; while the peculiar circumstances 
under which both the instruments of observation and the 
observers themselves are placed, render a frequent repetition 
of the observations necessary to produce confidence in. the 
results. Every encouragement should, therefore, be extended 
to all who are willing to undertake the arduous task, and 
capable of properly meeting- its unusual responsibilities. 

"The committee therefore recommend to the Academy 
the adoption of the following resolutions : — 

" Resolved, That the Academy of Natural Sciences 
of Philadelphia, having full confidence in the energy, pru- 
dence, and scientific capacity of Dr. Hayes, recommends the 
arctic expedition projected by him to the favorable consid- 
eration of all who are in a position to assist him in his enter- 
prise, believing that its success will contribute largely to the 
advancement of science and to the honor of our country. 

" Resolved, That the Academy will cheerfully assist 
Dr. Hayes, in carrying out his plans, by all the means in 
its power. 

John F. Frazer, 

T. B. Wilson, 

Isaac Lea, 

Wm. Parker Foulke, 

J. L. Leconte, > Committee. 

Joseph Leidt, 

Wm. S. W. Ruschenberger, 

E. DURAND, 

Joseph Carson, 
" The report and resolutions were adopted, and the com- 
mittee continued." 

31* 



366 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 



Y. 

THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, OF 
BOSTON. 

[From the " Proceedings " of the Academy for 1858.] 

Monthly Meeting, October 12, 1858. — " Professor 
Joseph Lovering, in behalf of the committee to whom was 
referred the communication of Dr. I. I. Hayes, dated July 
19th, 1858, requesting the counsel and favorable influence 
of the Academy, in his proposed attempt to reach the north 
pole of the earth, read the following Report : — 

" The announcement of an open sea within the Arctic 
Ocean was made in these words by Dr. Kane after the re- 
turn of his man Morton from a sledge excursion in June, 
1854. ' It must have been an imposing sight, as he stood at 
this termination of his journey, looking out upon the great 
waste of waters before him. ' Not a speck of ice,' to use 
his own words, * could be seen. There, from a height of 
four hundred and eighty feet, which commanded a horizon 
of almost forty miles, his ears were gladdened by the novel 
music of dashing waters, and a surf, breaking in among the 
rocks at his feet, stayed his further progress.' 

" The committee have quoted the eloquent language of 
Dr. Kane, without stopping to inquire how much of this 
glowing description is to be referred to the enthusiasm of an 
explorer, and how much is to be interpreted by a cool criti- 
cism at a distance from the scene of operations. 

" The question which, it is expected, may be settled by 
another arctic expedition is, whether the great ice-barrier, 
which on some meridians, and at some seasons, encroaches 
even upon the 48th parallel of latitude, and which invests an 
area of six millions of square miles, extends northwards to the 
Pole ; or whether, beyond the limits of extreme arctic navi- 
gation, which leaves an unexplored surface of three millions 
of square miles, there lies imprisoned in a zone of ice, the un- 



APPENDIX. 367 

• 

frozen waters of a polar sea. The conclusion of Dr. Kane, 
that the latter was the true si.de of the alternative, was antici- 
pated by that of a Russian expedition, on sledges, in 1810, 
made upon an opposite meridian to that which Kane trav- 
elled, and of Parry in 1827 upon a third meridian. 

" The impression favorable to an open and navigable polar 
sea, which was obtained on these occasions, based as it was 
upon a very circumscribed experience, and prevented by 
stress of circumstances from being pursued to verification, 
might seem to fall considerably short of a rational belief, 
were it not, in the opinion of Dr. Hayes and others, corrob- 
orated by various kinds of circumstantial evidence, as fol- 
lows : — 

"1. By the presence of bird-life, mostly marine, on what 
would be the icy shores of this suspected sea, and which mi- 
grate northward in spring. 

"2. By the milder temperature at extreme latitude, in- 
ferred from the character of the isothermals where best 
determined ; and which, pursued by analogy to unvisited lati- 
tudes, give the same temperature to the high latitude of 90° 
as to the arctic circle. 

" 3. By the migrations of human life ; the traditions of 
the Esquimaux, pointing to the north as the cradle of their 
race. If the fact is established, that races deteriorate as 
they remove from the parallel of their nativity, then the tra- 
dition of the degenerate Esquimaux is confirmed by their 
own degeneracy. 

" 4. By the temperature of the arctic waters, which were 
observed by William Morton, and recorded by Kane, as only 
36° Fahr. in June, 1854, or two degrees above the tempera- 
ture of the air at the same time ; the water flowing from the 
north and no ice being in sight. Whether this water is 
frozen in winter, is not, however, known. 

"5. By the rise of the temperature in winter when the 
north wind sets in, which is also damp ; as observed by 
Baron Von Wrangel and Sir Edward Parry. The cause 



368 AN AKCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

of this elevated temperature in the arctic waters, Dr. Hayes 
thinks, may be found in the influence of the Gulf Stream 
flowing northward as an under-current to equalize the effects 
of the superficial flow southward. This direction in the flow 
of the deep water, is inferred from the drift of the deeply- 
laden icebergs northwards, while the lighter ones move 
southward. Moreover, what compensation for astronomical 
exposure may not the drainage of five millions of square 
miles from the northern water-sheds of Europe, Asia, and 
America, introduce into the temperature of the great arctic 
basin ? 

" If these mild waters, embosomed for centuries in a zone 
of ice, are to be reached by civilized man, Dr. Hayes thinks 
that the best invitation to success comes, not from a purely 
nautical expedition along the easterly coast of Greenland, 
but from more westerly meridians, to be traversed by boats 
and sledges. 

" The committee do not feel called upon to examine, 
singly or collectively, the force of these various arguments 
in favor of an open polar sea. It is certain, however, that 
human curiosity will not be satisfied until the mystery on this 
subject is cleared up by new expeditions. To postpone these 
expeditions to another generation, when much of the per- 
sonal experience already gained will have been forgotten, and 
when the services of those best qualified to conduct them 
can no longer be commanded, would not be a wise economy. 

" With these few hints on the views and objects of Dr. 
Hayes, in his appeal to the Academy for scientific aid and 
sympathy, your committee conclude with the recommenda- 
tion of the following resolutions : — 

" Resolved, That the American Academy of Arts and 
Sciences appreciate highly the laudable ambition of Dr. I. I. 
Hayes, to continue, and, if possible, consummate, the arduous 
exploration for which he has already sacrificed much, and is 
willing to sacrifice still more ; and that the Academy tender 
him their sympathy and influence. 



APPENDIX 369 

" Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed, 
from the members of the academj, to cooperate with Dr. I. 
I. Hayes, and to render him such scientific counsel as may- 
make his new eflfort, if undertaken, secure the greatest ad- 
vantages to science and humanity, 

Joseph Lovering, ^ 

Henry L. Eustis, > Committee, 

Joseph Winlock, J 

" On motion of Professor Felton, the resolutions were 
adopted unanimously, and the subject was referred to a com- 
mittee, consisting of — 

" Prof. Joseph Lovering, Prof. Henry L. Eustis, Prof. 
Joseph Winlock, Thomas G. Carey, Esq., Benjamin A. 
Gould, Esq., Prof. Theophilus Parsons, Edward Wig- 
glesworth, Esq." 



VI. 

THE BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 

[From the " Proceedings" of the Society, for 1858.] 

Meeting op the Society, September 1, 1858. — "A 
letter was read from Dr. I. I. Hayes, to the President, an- 
nouncing his intention of making another attempt to reach 
the north pole of the earth. On motion of Prof. Parsons, 
the subject was referred to a committee to be nominated 
by the President, and reported on at the next meeting." 

Meeting of the Society, September 15, 1858. — "The 
President nominated, as a committee on the subject of Dr. 
Hayes' proposed Arctic Expedition, Prof. Theophilus Par- 
sons, Dr. A. A. Gould, and Dr. S. Kneeland, Jr., and 
they were chosen." 

Meeting of the Society, November 3, 1858. — "The 



370 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

committee, to whom was referred the letter of Dr. 1. 1. Hayes, 
announcing his intention of making another attempt to reach 
the north pole of the earth, would report : — 

" 1. That we regard the proposed expedition with no 
ordinary interest ; and receive assurance that it will be suc- 
cessfully prosecuted, in view of the near approaches which 
have already been made in that direction ; the reasons by 
which it is shown that the obstacles hitherto encountered 
may be, in a great measure, evaded ; the personal expe- 
riences of its conductor of the dangers and rigors to be met, 
and his ability to forestall them ; and, especially, in his ac- 
quaintance with the residences and characters of the natives, 
on whom he must mainly rely for extra aid, — an acquaint- 
ance, probably, superior to that of any other person. 

" 2. That while the hopes of former expeditions may not 
have been fully realized, yet, that in view of the additions 
made to human knowledge, as to the Metereology, Geography, 
and other natural features of our globe, as well as the proofs 
they have given of the physical endurance, perseverance, 
and moral energies of our race, enough has been attained to 
entitle them to be considered as anything but unsuccessful; 
and that we anticipate similar results from, this, results in 
no way inferior to those attaching to previous expeditions. 

" 3. That whatever of encouragement or countenance can 
be derived from this Society, we wish to tender to Dr. Hayes, 
assuring him that our best wishes will accompany him ; and 
of our confidence that his return will be fraught with fruits 
most valuable to science. 

" All which is respectfully submitted. 

Augustus A. Gould, ^ 

Samuel Kneeland, Jr., > Committee, 

Theophilus Parsons, ) 

" The report and accompanying resolutions were accepted 
and adopted as the sense of the Society, and the correspond- 
ing secretary was directed to communicate a copy of the 
same to Dr. Hayes." 



APPENDIX. 371 

VII. 

THE NEW YORK LYCEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. 

Meeting of the Lyceum, December 28th, 1858. 

The committee appointed to prepare resolutions in refer- 
ence to the proposed Expedition of Dr. Hayes to the Arctic 
Sea, reported : — 

" That notwithstanding the many expeditions that have 
explored different positions of arctic America, much yet 
remains to be learned, respecting the Physical Geography 
and Zoology of those regions ; and Dr. Hayes having at our 
last meeting given an outline of his contemplated explo- 
rations, we cannot, as Naturalists, but feel a hope that in the 
prosecution of his project, much valuable information may be 
obtained to perfect the knowledge we now have of the pro- 
ductions and zoology of the extreme north. 

" On this account it seems jjroper that some expression of 
interest should be manifested, and encouragement given him 
by all scientific societies, and we therefore recommend the 
adoption of the following resolutions : — 

" Resolved, That the Lyceum of Natural History in 
New York cordially approves of the plan proposed by Dr. 
Hayes, and with the expectation that if he succeeds in reach- 
ing a higher arctic parallel than has heretofore been attained, 
some valuable contributions to science may reasonably be 
expected ; and the Lyceum therefore fully unites in the rec- 
ommendations of his project by other societies, and willingly 
adds its influence, wath the hope that all interested in scien- 
tific research, and having the ability, will aid him in his self- 
sacrificing design." 

Extracted from the Minutes. 

John Redfield, Corresponding Secretary. 



372 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 

VIII. 

THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
[From the " Proceedings " of the Society for 1858.] 

Meeting of the Society, June 14th, 1858. — The 
President, Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, said : " I 
ought to mention, to the honor of our kinsmen on the other 
side of the Atlantic, that, not content with having done so 
much in search of Franklin, they now, on the proposal of Dr. 
Hayes, the companion of Kane, contemplate a further expe- 
dition to ascertain whether there is or is not an open sea 
beyond Smith Sound. As geographers we cannot too 
warmly thank them for the spirit they have displayed in 
this arctic subject." 



IX. 

LETTER FROM PROFESSOR A. DALLAS BACHE, 
Superintendent of the United States Coast Survey. 

Coast Survey Office, » 
Washington, December 15, 1858. | 

Dear Sir : — I am glad to learn from you that the New 
York Geographical and Statistical Society has secured the 
reading of a paper from you before it, on Arctic Exploration. 
The interest which the Society took in Dr. Kane's expedi- 
tions will naturally make the members desire to complete 
what was so admirably begun. The question of the open 
Polar Sea is the great geographical question of the day ; it 
is a question connected with the geography of our own con- 
tinent, and one which Americans have taken the lead in 
solving. I do sincerely hope that we may follow it to the 
end. 

You are aware that Assistant Charles A. Schott, of the 



APPENDIX. 373 

Coast Survey, has, at my request, devoted a part of his time 
not occupied by his official duties in discussing the astronom- 
ical, meteorological, magnetic, and tidal observations collected 
by Dr. Kane, in the Second Grinnell Expedition. He has 
recently communicated to me a most interesting confirmation 
of the observations bearing upon the existence of open water 
near the Pole. He says in a note of December 4th, which 
is before me, " It appears, from notes collected from the 
log-books of the Advance, that the southeast (magnetic), 
north-northeast (true) winds had the effect of elevating the 
temperature of the air even in the winter months, which 
may be supposed to have arisen from its originating or blow- 
ing over a water ai'ea, partially open (this water would have 
a surface temperature of 29° Fahr.). The direction points 
across Washington Land and Kennedy Channel as the seat 
of this influencing area." 

The interesting character of the results of the magnetic 
observations brought back by Dr. Kane, induced me to say 
to you, at the meeting of the American Association at Balti- 
more, that I would gladly contribute to a new expedition, 
under your direction, the pecuniary means necessary to ex- 
tend the observations. To this offer of course I stand. 

I feel persuaded that the experience which you gained 
while with Dr. Kane, and the interest which you must feel 
in his particular line of research and exploration, make you 
the person, of all others, to continue the great work with 
which Kane's name is forever associated, and I trust that 
means may not be wanting to enable American enterprise to 
complete what it has so well begun and continued. 
With great regard, yours, truly, 

A. D. Bache. 

Doctor I. I. Hates. 



374 AN ARCTIC BOAT JOURNEY. 



LETTER FROM M, DE LA ROQUETTE, 

Vice-President of the Geographical Society of Paris. 

To Mr. E. R. Straznichy^ Secretary of the Council of the American Geo- 
graphical and Statistical Society, New York. 

Paris, Friday, January 21, 1859. ) 
19 Rue Mazarine. ) 

Sir : — It is with the liveliest interest that I have read 
the numbers of the " New York Tribune " (Dec. 6), " Evening 
Post" (Dec. 17), and "New York Times" (Dec. 18), which 
you have had the kindness to transmit to me. They apprise 
me of the new organization of the American Geographical 
and Statistical Society, and at the same time of the fact, that, 
upon the proposition of Dr. Hayes, one of the companions of 
the heroic and unfortunate Dr. Kane, your Society has 
adopted, in concert with other scientific institutions of the 
United States, the project of sending out a new expedition 
into the arctic regions, for the purpose of ascertaining the 
correctness of the information furnished by the latter, partic- 
ularly as to the existence of an open Polar Sea, that is to 
say, free from ice, which would either approach the Pole, or 
extend to that extremity of our globe which, up to the pres- 
ent day, navigators have made vain efforts to reach. 

From the resolution adopted by the American Geographi- 
cal and Statistical Society, I perceive that the expedition will 
probably leave in the spring of 1860, under the command of 
Dr. Hayes, its promoter, and that its expenses will be cov- 
ered by means of a subscription. The attachment which I 
have always felt for Dr. Kane, and which he kindly shared, 
and the honor which your learned Society has done me by 
electing me as their Honorary Member, leaves me ground to 
hope that they will allow me to place my name among the 
number of subscribers with a sum of five hundred francs, 
which I hold for their disposition. 



APPENDIX. 375 

I have already announced to the Geographical Society of 
Paris the truly national project conceived by the United 
States. I will profit by the new information contained in the 
numbers of the papers which I owe to your kindness, and 
will draw up a detailed account, which will probably appear 
in the " Nouvelles Annales des Voyages." I shall always re- 
ceive with gi'atitude the communications which you will be 
kind enough to make to me 

Allow me to express to you, Sir, the assurance of my most 
distinguished consideration. 

De La Roquette, No. 19 Rue Mazarine. 



THE END. 



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